Two hearts, one love
by Anjelic
Summary: When the new girl Crystal persistently chases Kai, will she eventually give up or will Kai's cold attitude towards her change? COMPLETE "No you don't. You feel guilty that I'm leaving." I told him softly. "Do not force yourself to love me out of pity"
1. Chapter 1: First day back

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 1: First day back  
  
Tapping her foot impatiently, Crystal lazily thumbed through the magazine. Why is it that receptions always have magazines eight months out of date? She thought absentmindedly.  
  
"You may go in now Crystal" the sectary said to her with a reassuring smile.  
  
Like she needed any reassurance. She walked through the oak paneled door leading into the principal's office to see the principal himself sitting behind his desk.  
  
"Hello Miss Chan, would you please take a seat?" he asked, gesturing to the chair in front of the desk.  
  
I sat down without a word studying my surroundings. The office was quite lavishly furnished with dark oak furniture and I wondered whether this was all at his own expense or whether he had splurged the school fees on decorating his office.  
  
"Miss Chan, I am Mr. Stuart, your principal and I would like to welcome you to St. Xavier secondary college. Now I know this must be hard for you, changing schools and all but the students here are all very friendly and it won't be long until you make friends" he said.  
  
I diverted my attention back towards him and suppressed the need to roll my eyes.  
  
"Now I don't think there's much more to say for the time being. You may head off to class now; my sectary will give you your timetable. If you have any concerns at all, please feel free to come to me any time" He finished.  
  
"Thank-you" I said politely and pasted a smile onto my face. I exited the office and received my timetable from the sectary. I glanced at the clock briefly and figured I should head off to homeroom.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Yo man, how was your summer?" Rei asked me.  
  
I shrugged, "Okay I suppose" I responded while staring off into space.  
  
"So have you heard about the new girl yet?" Tala questioned when he slid into the seat next to me.  
  
"No. Why? What year is she in?" Rei replied.  
  
"Apparently she's in our year.and really hot" Tala answered.  
  
"Really? Well I'll be the judge of that" I said bored.  
  
"You know you should-" Rei began but was cut off when the classroom door opened and the teacher stepped inside.  
  
"Good morning class and welcome back to another year of school. I trust you all had a good summer. My name's Ms. Carmel and I'll be your homeroom teacher for the rest of the year. Today I'd like to introduce you to a new student. I hope that you all make her feel welcomed. Miss Chan, will you please come in?" the teacher said.  
  
"Now we'll see whether the rumors are true or not" Tala whispered.  
  
The door open halfway and a slimly built girl entered the room. Instantly the boys erupted into whistles and catcalls.  
  
It was obvious that the rumors were true, I grudgingly admitted to myself. The girl had straight glossy midnight black hair which was shoulder length and the uniform, which was composed of a white shirt, black knee high socks, pleated shirt and jumper with a black tie with white stripes, fitted her body perfectly showing off her curves. But the most unique feature about her was her almond-shaped eyes which were aqua and consisted of baby blue with flecks of emerald green and stood out boldly. Her legs seemed to go on forever and her complexion was smooth.  
  
"Miss Chan, would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?" Ms. Carmel asked and the girl shrugged indifferently.  
  
"My name's Crystal Chan and I'm from Hong Kong. I moved here since my father transferred for his business." She said.  
  
"Does anybody have any questions for Crystal?" Ms Carmel asked.  
  
While Crystal was bombarded with questions, I studied the way in which she stood and held herself. She stood straight, her posture indicated that she was quite confident and she seemed to hold herself quite well considering the fact that she was in a whole new school and country.  
  
"Now let's see, we'll need somebody to show you around Crystal." Ms. Carmel said and gazed around the classroom. When I felt her eyes land on me, I looked up expectantly. "Kai will you be so kind as to show Miss Chan here around the school?" Ms Carmel asked sweetly.  
  
"Sure" I said ignoring the envious looks on all other guys faces.  
  
"Great well why don't you show her to locker? It's." She said and consulted her list. "Locker #223. And unless I'm mistaken, yours is #225 Kai. Right next to hers. Convenient huh?" she confirmed. "Well off you go! Have fun!" She said chirpily and waved her hand towards the door.  
  
Sighing, I got up and exited the classroom. I looked over my shoulder to make sure that Crystal was following. Sure enough she was behind me, glancing about the hallway.  
  
"So what class do you have next?" I asked her, feeling the need to make conversation.  
  
"Chemistry" She replied.  
  
"With Mr. Andrews?" I enquired lifting an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah. What do you have next?" she asked.  
  
"Same as you." I responded and came to a stop in front of a bank of lockers. She studied them for a moment, spun her combo and began piling books into it.  
  
I turned towards my locker. Now what was my combo again? Oh right, 21, 9, 44. I twisted the lock and tugged down. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing once more. I growled in frustration. Okay, third time's the charm. Nothing. I hit the locker with my fist and the sound echoed throughout the hallway.  
  
"Want some help?" a voice asked sweetly.  
  
I turned to find Crystal leaning casually against the locker observing me with a thoughtful look in her eyes. I grunted and stepped aside. She looked at me expectantly.  
  
"What?" I grumbled.  
  
"I'm going to need to know your combo if I'm going to open this for you" she said tapping her perfectly manicured finger against my locker.  
  
I sighed. "21, 9, 44" I answered reluctantly.  
  
She twirled the lock, tugged down and it obediently opened with a click. "Voila" she said triumphantly.  
  
I merely glared.  
  
"What? Don't glare at me like that. It's not nice you know. Oh and don't worry, I won't break into your locker" Crystal said playfully.  
  
"Gee thanks" I said sarcastically.  
  
"No problem" she replied back. "Now let's go to Chem." She said and began to skip off down the hall.  
  
"Umm, Crystal?" I said smirking. "The Chem room is that way" I said pointing in the opposite direction.  
  
"Oh right. Thanks" she said sheepishly. "Now what would I do without you Kai?" she asked with a wink.  
  
I scowled. Was she always like this?  
  
Crystal's POV  
  
After following Kai down the hallway to the bio room and entering it, I hesitated for a fraction of a second at the doorway. Where to sit? I pondered and bit my lip lightly.  
  
"Hey Crystal. Over here" a guy with blood red hair called out. I vaguely remembered him from homeroom. As I headed towards him, I noticed Kai sitting next to him.  
  
"Oi Kai, move down a seat will you?" another guy with a black ponytail asked him.  
  
Muttering something underneath his breath, Kai reluctantly moved down a seat. I slid into the seat between Kai and the red haired guy.  
  
"Thanks Kai-kun" I said, curving my lips into a smile and winking at him once more. Kai merely scowled before opening up his textbook. I turned around to face the red haired boy who had called me over before.  
  
"Hi, I'm Tala" he said with a smile.  
  
"I'm Crystal" I said, returning the smile.  
  
"Don't forget about me" the guy with the black ponytail sitting next to Tala said. "I'm Rei" he said and extended his hand to me. I reached my hand thinking that he wanted to shake hands but instead he gently held my hand and raised them up to his lips. I smirked. This guy was cute, but he's so smooth that he glides.  
  
"Charmed I'm sure" I said rolling my eyes.  
  
"Cut it with the Prince Charming act Rei" Kai muttered.  
  
"Hey, not my fault you know. Can't help myself if there's a pretty girl in front of my. I don't know how you manage. But the again, you go for guys right?" Rei said jokingly.  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny. Like I haven't heard that one before" Kai replied dryly.  
  
I glanced at Tala and from the bored expression on his face, I concluded that this was a normal routine. The teacher entered the room and said that we were to be doing pracs today and to pair up. Tala had already turned to Rei despite his protests that he wanted to work with me. I turned to Kai who shrugged and said that he'd get the equipment and that I was to get a bench. I followed Rei who seemed to be getting a bench too and sat at the one next to him.  
  
"So how do you like Japan so far?" he asked me when I sat down.  
  
"It's very different from Hong Kong." I said after I thought for a moment.  
  
"Is different bad or good?" he asked.  
  
"Well it's good I suppose" I replied.  
  
"So do you-"  
  
"Oi lazy ass! Stop chatting up Crystal and get some test tubes" Tala called out across the room interrupting Rei.  
  
Rei shrugged and smiled apologetically at me before getting up.  
  
"Do you know what we're doing?" Kai asked surprising me.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah. Do you have the sheet?" I answered.  
  
"Here" he said and thrust the sheet towards me.  
  
I skimmed through it. "Yeah, this is pretty basic stuff." I replied.  
  
"Good. Now since I got the equipment, you can do the prac" Kai said.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"You heard me" he said.  
  
I scowled. I am not doing this all by myself I thought.  
  
"Kai please help me?" I asked him.  
  
"No. You're just the woman so you should do the work." He responded.  
  
"Just the woman?" I said becoming mad. "What the hell is your problem?"  
  
"You" he said smartly.  
  
"You don't even know me! Now you better help me or else I'm not going to do anything"  
  
"Really? Do you want to get a F for this prac?" he said.  
  
"I couldn't care less! I've already done this course in Hong Kong and received first class honours for it. So a F wouldn't really matter!" I retorted with a smirk.  
  
Now it was Kai's turn to scowl.  
  
Just then, the teacher walked by.  
  
"Having any problems?" he asked when he saw the look on Kai's face.  
  
"None at all sir." I said chirpily. "Kai was just about to boil the mixture, right Kai?" I said sweetly.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever" he muttered and began to mix the chemicals together.  
  
"You know you are such a brat" he grumbled the moment the teacher had left our bench.  
  
"Damn right I am! And a cute one at that!" I responded.  
  
"Well I for one don't think you're cute" he said after he set the chemicals to boil.  
  
"Aww, Kai, you've hurt my feelings" I said pouting. "Don't you love me Kai- kun?"  
  
"No I do not love you and the name is Hiwatari. I'd prefer it if you called me that and didn't call me 'Kai-kun'" he said.  
  
"Why ever not?" I said batting my eyelashes at him.  
  
"Because I don't want you to" he responded.  
  
"Whatever you say, Kai-kun" I said and giggled at the annoyed look on his face.  
  
Okaiz.so what did you all think? If you liked it then please review. Be nice since it's my first fan fic so I don't particularly want any flames. 


	2. Chapter 2: Because I don't want you to

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 2: Because I don't want you to  
  
Kai's POV  
  
After finishing up the prac I consulted my timetable and found that I had music next. Great. I really hope we don't have Mrs. Anderson again this year. She was so.ugh.enthusiastic about teaching and music. Suddenly, I felt a hand slip into mine. I looked down and found Crystal standing next to me, her hand in mine. I pulled my hand away from hers.  
  
"What are you trying to do?" I snapped extremely annoyed.  
  
"Holding your hand" she replied innocently.  
  
"Well don't" I said.  
  
"Why not Kai-kun?" she asked.  
  
"Because I don't want you to" I grumbled, pushing past other students.  
  
"Is that your answer for everything?" she said curiously. "Oh and where's the music room?" she continued without giving me a chance to answer.  
  
"You have music now?" I said scowling.  
  
"Yep." Crystal said.  
  
Great. Another class with her.  
  
"Well unfortunately I've got music too, so just come with me okay?" I muttered.  
  
"Great! Another class together" she said chirpily.  
  
I groaned inwardly and began to climb the stairs. Where the hell was Rei anyway? Maybe he could take Crystal wherever she needed to go. When we reached the music room, Crystal gazed around with interest.  
  
"The music facilities here are much better than those in Hong Kong" she commented as she went over to the white grand piano in the corner.  
  
I glanced around. Just my luck. We were the first ones to arrive. I heard a soft melodic tune and I turned towards the piano. I studied her for a moment. She was really good.  
  
"What is that piece? I've never heard it before." I asked her out of curiosity. Since I was a child, I had been exposed to many musical pieces as I had to attend formal functions with my parents.  
  
"I composed it myself" Crystal said as her fingers continued to glide across the keys effortlessly.  
  
I shook my head and turned to stare out the window. Finally Rei and Tala entered and sat down.  
  
"Wow, she's really something" Tala said appreciatively.  
  
"Guys, I think I'm in love" Rei said dreamily.  
  
"Yeah right. How many times have we heard you say that?" I enquired.  
  
"Well this time is different. Crystal is different from all the other girls I've dated" Rei answered.  
  
"Really? In what ways am I different?" a voice behind them said. We turned around to see Crystal looking expectantly at Rei.  
  
"Well, are you going to answer me or not Rei?" she said.  
  
"Umm." Rei mumbled.  
  
But luckily for Rei, Mrs. Anderson came into the room.  
  
"Okay students!" She said clapping her hands together once. "Now Mia has volunteered to be perform the musical item today. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that each and every one of you will have to perform at least once this year or else you will not be able to receive full marks for this class. Although if you wish to you may choose not to perform and take the risks of having to satisfactory complete all the other set task. But it is my recommendation that you all perform in case you do not score as well as you would like to in the assessment tasks." She advised.  
  
I sighed. Like I really cared about what she advised. Anyway it was quite unlikely that I would do so badly in all the other assessments. So unless I absolutely had to, there was no way in hell I was going to perform.  
  
Mia got up from her seat and made her way- rather clumsily as she walked into a music stand, to the piano. I noticed that she slouched down slightly probably because she was never taught proper posture and etiquette. Mia then began to play, quite badly. Those who didn't even know anything about music would even realize this. I groaned and felt like covering my ears with my hands. I was fairly sure this was a Beethoven piece, I was sure if he was probably rolling over in his grave, although it could very be some other piece as it was hard to distinguish.  
  
"Err, thank-you Mia for that very.nice Beethoven piece" Mrs. Anderson said looking quite sorry that she had gotten Mia to perform.  
  
"Thank-you. And Mrs. Anderson, it was Richard Clayderman's Ballat Port Adelane" Mia said quite put off and curtsied. Man she couldn't even curtsy properly. How pathetic.  
  
"So Mia, are you in grade six piano then?" Crystal suddenly asked.  
  
"Well, not exactly" Mia replied hesitantly.  
  
"Oh. I wasn't really sure whether you were grade six or not since you didn't play that piece particularly well" Crystal casually commented.  
  
"Excuse me? I can't believe you actually have the nerve to criticize my piano playing! I'd like to see you do better!" Mia said outraged.  
  
"Fine then. If you insist" Crystal said lightly and stood up. "Miss, would you mind?" she asked Mrs. Anderson politely.  
  
"Not at all. Please go ahead" Mrs. Anderson replied.  
  
"Thank-you" Crystal said. She then proceeded to play the same song that Mia had been playing moments before, but it was flawless and it was easily apparent that she had made no mistakes. And I could actually tell that it was Richard Clayderman and not Beethoven. When she had finished she stood up and gracefully curtsied. Thunderous applause sounded throughout the room and she paused by Mia's desk before returning to her seat.  
  
"Oh and by the way Mia, it's called Ballad Pour Adaline" she stated calmly.  
  
Crystal's POV  
  
"Come on Kai-kun" I said as I tugged his hand, maneuvering through the crowd towards our lockers. "I'm hungry"  
  
I twirled my lock and stacked my books inside and turned to face Kai. He was still fumbling with his lock. Sighing, I reached over his shoulder and opened it for him.  
  
"Hopeless, utterly hopeless" I said, standing on my tip toes and ruffling up his two-toned blue hair. He scowled and headed outside. I reluctantly followed him when he headed towards Tala, Rei and group of guys and girls. It was one thing to follow him in class, but another thing to do it at lunch. Sure it was fun annoying the hell out of him but I always prided myself for being independent. So I came to an abrupt halt behind him and gazed around.  
  
"Are you coming or not?" Kai said gruffly appearing in my line of vision.  
  
"Yeah okay" I said shrugging.  
  
"You know I only asked you to come over since if you didn't Rei would complain that I lost you" he explained.  
  
He came to a stop in front of the group of people. "Hey" he said and sat down between Rei and Tala. I stood awkwardly for a moment but then an idea formed in my mind. I took a step and quickly sat on Kai's lap. For a moment he was so surprised and shocked that he didn't say anything at all. But then.  
  
"What are you doing?" he snapped.  
  
"Sitting on your lap" I said as though it couldn't be any more obvious. He sighed in frustration and ran his hand through his hair.  
  
"Yeah, I realized that but why are you sitting on my lap?" he said obviously trying not to get mad.  
  
"Because I want to" I replied simply and took a bite out of my wrap.  
  
"Well could you please get off" he asked through gritted teeth.  
  
"Nope" I said and returned to my lunch.  
  
"I suppose I'll have to remove you by force" he threatened and made a move to get up. But before he could Tala yanked him back down.  
  
"What are you doing?" Kai snapped.  
  
"What am I doing? What are you doing?" Tala responded. "If you get up you could hurt her. And you of all people should know it's not cool to hurt girls"  
  
Kai glared and retreated into stony silence.  
  
Suddenly the group's attention zeroed in on me.  
  
"So are you the new girl?" one guy said.  
  
"Yeah," I replied.  
  
"Well then, the rumors are certainly true then" he said.  
  
"Oh really?" I said arching one eyebrow. "And what exactly are those rumors saying?"  
  
"That you're hot" he responded and the group laughed.  
  
"So are you Kai's new girlfriend?" a pink haired girl asked. I smirked.  
  
"Of course" I said lightly. I felt Kai's muscles tighten.  
  
"She is not my girlfriend Mariah" he said coldly as I giggled.  
  
"Then why are you allowing her to sit in your lap? Last time Mia tried to do that you shoved her off straight away." Mariah said.  
  
"That's because Mia isn't a girl" he replied and everybody laughed.  
  
"Aww you're so cute. Come and sit in my lap" Rei said. "I don't know why Kai doesn't want you"  
  
I twisted around to see Kai's expressionless face. "Well since you're not much fun at the moment, I'm going to go sit on Rei's lap But don't worry, I still love you Kai-kun" I whispered in his ear and he scowled.  
  
"Good riddance" he muttered.  
  
"Sheesh" I said. "I'm only trying to be nice" I got up and sat on Rei's lap instead. He wrapped his arms around me and I leaned against him.  
  
"So what class do you have next?" he asked.  
  
"Umm, Geography I think" I replied.  
  
"Good. That means you're not in my class." Kai said. "Since you're in all my other classes, I'll get a break for once"  
  
I pouted. "Kai that hurt my feelings. You know I might just change out of Geography into your history class just to spite you" I said and stuck my tongue out at him.  
  
"Don't you dare" he growled. "I want at least one class of peace without you in it"  
  
"Okay, okay. I was only kidding. You don't have to take everything too seriously" I replied.  
  
"What, as opposed to you who takes nothing seriously?" he said.  
  
"I do take some things seriously" I protested as the bell rang signaling the end of lunch.  
  
At the end of the day, I went back to my locker to retrieve a few books and saw Kai fumbling with his lock once again.  
  
"You should try having some patience, it might help" I said as I opened his lock. "I don't know how you managed to open it in the past years"  
  
Kai merely grunted in reply. I waited until he had finished then tugged at his shirt.  
  
"Come one, walk me outside." I said.  
  
"No" he said flatly and turned away.  
  
"Please" I pleaded. "Look you're going out to the car park and so am I. So we can walk together"  
  
He didn't say anything but I walked beside him anyway. When we reached the parking lot, he came to a stop at a black convertible.  
  
"Nice care" I said lightly. "But I think I still like mine better"  
  
"And what kind of car do you have?" he asked smirking. I could tell that he thought nobody in school had a car better than his. Boy was he in for a surprise.  
  
"That one" I said and pointing at the silver convertible in the lot across from his. He looked at it.  
  
"Very nice" was his only comment before climbing into his car.  
  
"Bye Kai-kun" I called.  
  
Okaiz.predi plaz review?? I'd like some feedback. Once again I apologize if the characters appear out of character. So yeah..go review. Ermmz.I'd appreciate it if you didn't flame me. 


	3. Chapter 3: Family dinners are so much fu...

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 3: Family dinners are so much fun.  
  
I wove through the late afternoon traffic until I arrived home. I went up to my room and found my mother going through my wardrobe.  
  
"Hello Kai" she said warmly.  
  
"Hi mum. Umm, what are you doing?" I asked.  
  
"I seeing if you have anything to wear for the next week" she replied.  
  
"Why? Where are we going?" I asked lazily.  
  
"We're attending a formal function." She answered, flicking past my shirts.  
  
"What's it for this time?" I said not bothering to cover the annoyance in my voice.  
  
"A very important business man has moved to Japan. Don't think that you can get out of this either. So how was your first day back?" she finished sweetly.  
  
"Annoying" I replied.  
  
"Really? Why?" she asked.  
  
"There's this new girl.she's really..annoying" I said trying to find the words to describe Crystal.  
  
My mother sighed. "Just don't get into any fights with her okay?" she asked. "Oh and your father's arrived back today, so wash up before you come down to dinner please" she said before leaving my room.  
  
I flopped down onto my king-sized bed and closed my eyes briefly. Great, Daddy dearest was back home. That would mean attending more formal functions and having tense "family dinners." Ever since I was a baby, my father was always flying overseas, thus I never got to see him much. And when he did come home, he would usually criticize me about every little thing.  
  
I got up went and took a quick shower before going downstairs for dinner. I absolutely dreaded having dinner when my father was home. He'd interrogate me about everything, how I was going in school, who were my friends and whether or not they were acceptable to him.  
  
When I arrived at the dining room I stood behind my chair, opposite to my mum's and waited till my father arrived and sat down before sitting.  
  
After a few tense minutes in which the only sound that could be heard was the clinking of silverware, mum asked dad how his trip was.  
  
"Fine" was his curt answer before he turned to me. "What have you been doing while I was gone Kai?"  
  
"Studying" I said flatly avoiding his eyes.  
  
"You better be. If you don't get into Tokyo University, you'll have to go overseas" he said.  
  
"Don't worry. He'll get in" Mum assured him.  
  
A few more minutes passed by in silence.  
  
"We'll be having company for dinner tomorrow night. So I expect you to be on your best behavior Kai." My father warned me.  
  
"Don't worry I will" I replied dully.  
  
"Who's coming?" my mother asked.  
  
"Mr. Li Hiragazaki" my father responded shortly. "He has just recently moved to Japan and we must welcome him for he is a most important business man. There will of course be a formal function to be held in his honor but I thought that it would be best if we invited him to our house for dinner first. I believe he has a daughter your age Kai and it is expected that you will socialize with her"  
  
I nearly rolled my eyes at him but managed not to as it would only aggravate him.  
  
"She would be of equal social status to you so don't you dare do anything to offend her in any way as it quite possible that it could result in the business ties between our companies to be severed." He stated seriously as he stood up.  
  
"It is also said that she is quite beautiful" he commented over his shoulder as he left the room.  
  
I scowled at his retreating figure. Like I care whether she was beautiful or not. All of my father's business partner/ client's daughters were all snobs, beautiful or not.  
  
The next day at school passed and I found that Crystal was also in my maths class. I found this surprising as I was in the accelerated class with not many other people. I hated to admit that she was quite clever since she busy annoying me throughout the entire class but still managed to immediately correctly answer a question by the teacher on the spot when it was evident that she had done no work whatsoever.  
  
When the end of the day finally came, I thought that I'd rather go through it again than go back home and have dinner with my father and that Mr. Li guy. But then I was sure that my father would kill me since it would leave a bad impression if I was not present.  
  
When I arrived home, there was a black limo at the front of the driveway. Great that Mr. Li guy was probably already here. He must've been really rich as there wasn't many other people besides us who owned a limo. I shrugged and went around the back instead. I managed to avoid the lounge since my father always had guest there and went up to my room quietly. I saw some clothes laid out on the bed, grabbed them and took a shower. When I had finished and was just about to turn on my computer the intercom next to my door crackled to life.  
  
"Kai dear, dinner's ready. Make sure you're presentable okay?" mum said.  
  
When I reached the dining room, my father and a tall man were already seated. I slid into my spot and smiled politely at the other man.  
  
"Mr. Hiragazaki, allow me to introduce you to my son Kai" my father said smoothly.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Hiragazaki" I said.  
  
"I'm glad to hear that" he replied and extended his hand towards me.  
  
"You have a strong grip" he said when he shook my hand. I could already tell that he was nothing like my father who was a cold, calculating man.  
  
"Thank-you sir" I replied giving him a genuine smile.  
  
"Tell me Kai, how old are you?" he asked.  
  
"I'm 17 Mr. Hiragazaki" I answered looking for my mother out of the corner of my eye.  
  
"Ahh, excellent. You are the same age as my daughter" he said warmly. "But unfortunately, she could not come to dinner tonight for she had prior engagements"  
  
"Well then, Kai will just have to wait until next week to meet her" my father said flashing a smile at me which may be perceived as caring by other people but clearly said to me:  
  
"You will welcome her whether you want to or not"  
  
My mother chose this moment to enter the dining room.  
  
"Mr. Hiragazaki, I'd like you to meet my wife, Katrina" my father said gesturing towards her.  
  
"It's so nice to finally meet you Mr. Hiragazaki" my mother said smiling.  
  
"Thank-you for inviting me for dinner" he replied.  
  
It wasn't too long until the butler enter and began to serve us. I tried to eat as quickly as I could without making it seem too obvious and excused myself as politely as possible so as to give no indication to my father that this was the last thing I wanted to be doing.  
  
When I finally escaped to my room, I turned my computer on and logged into my MSN. I was about to scroll through my list to see who was online when a flickering light in bottom bar began to flash indicating that I had a message. Clicking on it, I realized that it was Rei.  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Hey Kai  
  
Double Helix says: Hey Rei  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Sup?  
  
I paused for a moment wondering whether or not to tell him about my family dinners. In the end I decided not to.  
  
Double Helix says: Nothing much. How about you?  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Same. Oi who are you chatting to?  
  
Double Helix says: Just you. Not really anybody else online that I want to talk to.  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Well.Crystal's online. I'll add her to the convo.  
  
Pink Sugar has been added to the conversation.  
  
Double Helix says: Nooooo!!!  
  
Pink Sugar says: Heyoz Kai-kun =D  
  
Double Helix says: Aww man Rei. Why'd you have to go and add her for?  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Lol. Wanted to see your reaction.  
  
Double Helix says: Well it's not funny. You know I think I might just leave this conversation.  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Fine whatever. I don't care. It'll just be me and Crystal then. Right Crystal? [winks at Crystal]  
  
It was only then that I realized that Crystal hadn't said anything yet.  
  
Double Helix says: Err, is Crystal even there?  
  
Dude I am so in love says: I dunno. Maybe she's gone off to do something.  
  
Pink Sugar says: No I'm still here. I was just checking my e-mail.  
  
Double Helix says: Damn. Thought you were gone.  
  
Pink Sugar says: *pouts* Kai-kun!!! That's not very nice you know. Don't you love me?  
  
I smirked before answering.  
  
Double Helix says: Hell no. And haven't I told you numerous times before not to call my Kai- kun?  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Don't worry if Kai don't love you cause I do.  
  
Pink Sugar says: *giggles* Thanks I think.  
  
Double Helix says: Rei you make me sick.  
  
It was then that my intercom crackled to life. I rolled my chair across to it and pushed the button.  
  
"Hello?" I spoke into it.  
  
"Kai, Mr. Hiragazaki is leaving. I think that your father wants you to come down." My mum replied.  
  
"Okay. I'll be down in a sec." I responded.  
  
I quickly crossed back over to my computer and switched my status to Be Right Back. I then clicked back onto the conversation with Rei and Crystal and told them I'd be right back then I descended the stairs down to the foyer where my father and Mr. Hiragazaki were still talking.  
  
"Well I suppose I better be off now. I'll see you next week then Kevin?" Mr. Hiragazaki said.  
  
"I expect you shall." My father said.  
  
"Good-bye Katrina. Kai, it was wonderful to meet you" he said before stepping out the door and into his limo.  
  
"I think that went well" my mother commented when my father closed the door.  
  
"Yes. I think so too" my father said as he left the foyer.  
  
I shook my head and went back up to my room. The bottom bar was still flickering and I figured that Rei and Crystal were still talking. I scrolled up to see what they had been talking about.  
  
Pink Sugar says: I wonder where Kai-kun went to.  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Who knows and why do you call him Kai-kun?  
  
Pink Sugary says: Cuz it's funny and annoys the hell out of him.  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Hey Crystal, do you want to go out some time?  
  
Pink Sugar says: Ermmz.yeah okaiz.  
  
I smirked. So Crystal and Rei are now going out. I returned to reading their convo.  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Cool.  
  
Pink Sugar says: Have you finished writing up the science prac report yet?  
  
Dude I am so in love says: Nearly. I just need to talk to Tala about what to write about the conclusion.  
  
Pink Sugar says: Do you want some help?  
  
Dude I am so in love says: No, it's okay. Just need to check what Tala wrote.  
  
Pink Sugar says: Can't you do it yourself?  
  
Dude I am so in love says: We're supposed to write it up with our lab partner.  
  
Pink Sugar says: What? Kai never told me that.  
  
Dude I am so in love says: [shrugs] Ask him later.  
  
I then returned to the convo.  
  
Double Helix says: I didn't tell you because you didn't ask.  
  
Pink Sugar says: *sticks tongue out at Kai-kun* Well I need to go now, bubaiz. *blows kisses*  
  
Dude I am so in love says: See ya.  
  
Pink Sugar says: Aren't you going to say good-bye to me Kai-kun?  
  
Double Helix says: If I do will you go away?  
  
Pink Sugar says: Maybe.  
  
Double Helix says: Fine. Later.  
  
Pink Sugar says: Love you guys.  
  
Pink Sugar has left the conversation.  
  
Double Helix says: Hey Rei, I got to go.  
  
Dude I am so in love says: First Crystal now you. Well See ya man.  
  
Double Helix says: Later  
  
I logged off my MSN and was turning my computer off when my mum walked in holding a black silk shirt.  
  
"Here Kai, wear this next Saturday at the function" she said laying it down on my bed.  
  
"Mum, do I have to meet Mr. Hiragazaki's daughter?" I asked.  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid you'll have to Kai. But Mr. Hiragazaki seems like a nice man to me. His daughter can't be that bad" my mother mused.  
  
I scowled. "She'll be a snob. They're all snobs" I spat.  
  
"Well I suppose it can't be helped. This business deal is very important" mum said.  
  
"Yeah well if I ever have kids I'm certainly not going to force them to socialize with brats and snobs just so that I can make business deals" I muttered.  
  
Once again plz review.was it good, bad, boring, etc? 


	4. Chapter 4: Shopping can be such a drag

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 4: Shopping can be such a drag.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I scowled as I was dragged from store to store while Melissa tried on endless amounts of clothing. She kept asking me whether her ass looked big in this or that. It was as annoying as hell. There was no way her ass would look big in anything since she was so skinny she didn't even have one. The only reason why I was stuck wasting a perfectly good Saturday with her was because of my father.  
  
Flashback  
  
I opened one eye to see my mobile phone vibrating on my side able and just about to fall off. Must've left it on silent I though groggily as I reached an arm out and answered it.  
  
"Hi Kai sweetie!" a voice attempting to be sexy said on the other line.  
  
I frowned in confusion.  
  
"Who is this?" I asked as I stifled a yawn.  
  
"It's me, Melissa!" the voice said.  
  
I moaned and rolled over in my bed.  
  
"Kai? Are you still there?" she asked.  
  
"Firstly, how did you get my number and why are you calling my at-" I checked my clock. "7.30am on a Saturday morning?"  
  
"Well I wanted you to come shopping with me" she said as though it couldn't be any more obvious.  
  
"What, now?" I asked in disbelief. She couldn't actually be serious right?  
  
"Yeah? Why is that a problem Kai?" she said.  
  
"Well kind of. You see Melissa, the shops don't normally open till 9.00" I explained.  
  
"Oh. Well then, we'll go then okay?" she said.  
  
"Uhh" I said attempting to stall for time so that I could think of a valid excuse as to why I couldn't go shopping with her. "Melissa, as much as I would love to go err.shopping with you, I am kind of busy today. You know homework and stuff." I lied.  
  
"Kai, it's the first week of school. You can't possibly have that much homework" Melissa said.  
  
Damn. Now what?  
  
"Melissa, who are you talking to?" a voice on Melissa's end said.  
  
"I was just asking Kai whether he wanted top go shopping with me Dad" she said.  
  
Oh crap. If her Dad knows that I refused to go shopping with Melissa then it'll most likely get back to my father. Then I'll dead. If my memory is correct, Melissa's father wasn't that particularly important since he worked for Mr. Hiragazaki but it still could have negative effects on my father's business. It wasn't worth taking the risk.  
  
"Wait Melissa, I think that my work can wait till tomorrow. What time do you want me to pick you up?" I said reluctantly.  
  
End of flashback  
  
"Kai" Melissa's annoying voice said.  
  
"What?" I snapped.  
  
"I'm hungry" she whined.  
  
"Well then go eat" I growled clenching my fist.  
  
"Oh, okay then. I think I'll have the 99.9% fat free frozen yoghurt" she remarked.  
  
I sighed. Well if all she ate was fat free stuff no wonder she's a stick. She was gripped onto my arm as though she was holding on for her life and dragged me towards the food court.  
  
Crystal's POV  
  
I flicked through the clothing racks. Nothing. I sighed. Oh well. I suppose the new clothes aren't in yet. I headed out of the shop and towards the food court. Shopping had made me hungry and I was thinking of getting some ice-cream, the real stuff from Wendy's, not that 99.9% fat free frozen yoghurt crap. Hmm.what flavor should I get? Chocolate? Orange sherbert? Tropical mango? Oh I know Cookies & Cream.but wait, did Wendy's accept credit cards? Better check how much change I have. .Then suddenly.I bumped into two people. I fell forwards but before I hit the ground I crashed into somebody. That somebody didn't even seem to be effected by me crashing into them.  
  
I slowly opened my eyes and found myself staring at a white shirt. Tilting my head up I tried to see who I had crashed into. Oh crap. Of all people I had to crash into, I just had to crash into Kai.  
  
"Crystal?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
I grinned. "Well fancy meeting you here" I said cheekily.  
  
He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Next time, don't be so clumsy" he said as I stepped away.  
  
Hang on a minute. Didn't I crash into two people? I looked around and saw a girl lying on the floor nearby.  
  
Kai followed my eyes and stared at the girl who emitted a low moan.  
  
"Kai, help me up" she whined when she lifted her head up to look at him. Kai scowled and reluctantly tugged on the girl roughly pulling her to her feet.  
  
"Kai!" she complained as she rubbed at her wrists. "Not so rough"  
  
"Sheesh, he didn't even pull you that hard" I said. Oops. I hadn't meant to say that aloud.  
  
"Excuse me?" she said glaring at me.  
  
Well I had already said it. Why pretend that I didn't?  
  
"I said Kai didn't even pull you hard" I said calmly.  
  
"Who do you think you are anyway?" she hissed.  
  
I smirked. Like I hadn't heard that one before.  
  
"Kai, do you know this girl?" she suddenly said turning around to face him.  
  
For a moment he looked torn.  
  
"Yeah, I go to school with her" he finally said.  
  
"So she isn't anybody of any importance?" she asked him. Kai merely shrugged.  
  
She shot me a triumphant look.  
  
"Just as I thought. You are nothing, you are trash, you are dirt beneath my feet" she spat.  
  
I scowled. I was so not going to let her get away with this  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I watched the scene with curiosity, wondering who would win and whether I should stop this while I still could.  
  
"Well who do you think you are?" Crystal said softly.  
  
"I'm the daughter of a respected man. My father works for the Hiragazaki Company and has an important role in its functioning. I've modeled before and am the envy of all the girls at my school." She said. "And I'm also Kai's girlfriend" she added triumphantly after a moment of thought.  
  
I looked at her with disgust. Like I would stoop so low as to go out with a stick figure like her.  
  
"Like I care whether you're a model, or your father's a respected man, or that you're Kai's girlfriend. If you think that makes you better than everybody else then I' sorry to tell you that you won't get far in life if you don't treat other people with respect" Crystal said flatly staring at Melissa straight in the eye.  
  
It was only then that I realized that Crystal's eyes had changed. They were no longer light baby blue with specks of emerald in them. They were now a dark sea green, with flecks of dark blue in them creating a swirl of aqua and turquoise. They were narrowed with dislike and contempt at Melissa. It was evident she was extremely angry from her eyes but other than that she appeared calm and in control.  
  
Melissa was clearly at a loss for words. Then.  
  
"Bitch" she said.  
  
God couldn't she think of anything better?  
  
That did it. Crystal launched herself at Melissa and it wasn't just any girly launch either. It was a proper martial arts one and she maintained complete and utter balance while sailing through the air, her fist zooming in on Melissa's face.  
  
Crack.  
  
Crystal's fist collided with Melissa's cheekbone and it managed to scrap her eye as well. She would have a nicely bruised eye in a few hours.  
  
Crystal was not fool. She didn't hang around within striking distance of Melissa. She had stepped backwards and dropped into the traditional fighting stance. Melissa not realizing Crystal had already backed away out of striking distance swung her arm out wildly but got nothing but air. With a howl of rage she turned towards Crystal and simply resorted to charging. Crystal lifted an eyebrow at me before stepping away. As Melissa flew past her, she stuck her arms up and for a split second they contacted with her then Melissa smashed into the wall.  
  
I scratched my head in confusion. I was sure Crystal hadn't struck her hard but why had Melissa suddenly flown so hard and suddenly into the wall? Aww well. I'll figure that one out later. It would be best to get out of here for now. I glanced over at Crystal who was standing a few feet away from Melissa and she looked up. Catching my eye, she inclined her head ever so slightly in the other direction. Smirking, I grabbed her arm and we raced away from the scene of the crime. 


	5. Chapter 5: Matter concerning icecream

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 5: Matters concerning ice-cream  
  
Crystal's POV  
  
Giggling madly, we dashed past countless stores, all of which became a coloured blur flashing past our eyes. Pushing an "employees only" door open, we finally came to a stop. I turned to Kai, my face flushed.  
  
"Talk about adrenaline rush" I said jokingly.  
  
He smirked.  
  
"Those were some great moves you pulled back there," he said reluctantly. I could easily tell that it pained him greatly to compliment me.  
  
"Thanks" I said grinning. "Do you think she's out cold now?" I wondered aloud.  
  
"It's quite possible," Kai said thoughtfully. "Oh, before I forget to ask you. What exactly was that last move you did?"  
  
The mental VCR in head rewinded for a moment.  
  
"Oh that one. It's pretty basic akido move" I replied.  
  
"Akido? That's a Japanese martial art yeah?" Kai asked.  
  
"Yeah. It's main teachings are based on turning your opponent's strength against them." I answered.  
  
"Cool. What other martial arts do you study?" he said curiously.  
  
"Taekwondao, karate, judo, kick-boxing, tai-chi, kendo, as well as akido" I said promptly. "Oh and I do street fighting too"  
  
"That's quite impressive. If you weren't a girl I'd ask you to spar with me" Kai said smirking.  
  
"You know one day your sexist views will catch up to you and take a chunk out of your ass" I retorted hotly.  
  
"Chill okay?" Kai said holding up his hand in defence. "Well what are we going to do now?"  
  
"I don't know" I shrugged. "How about we go and check out how much damage I caused"  
  
"Return to the scene of the crime? That's unheard of" Kai mocked and I rolled my eyes.  
  
"We'll check out the view from across it, one level up." I explained patiently as I headed out the door.  
  
"Oh my, why didn't I think of that?" he said sarcastically.  
  
"Ten bucks says that there'll be paramedics" I said over my shoulder, choosing to ignore his comment.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Surveying the scene from one level up and opposite it, I had to admit there was a medium level degree of chaos.  
  
"Nice. Very nice indeed." I commented appreciatively.  
  
"Why thank-you Kai-kun" Crystal replied, smiling.  
  
I scowled. Why did she continue to still call me that?  
  
Looking down, I saw that if I had taken Crystal's bet, she'd be $10 richer. There were indeed paramedics present, flittering in and out of the crowd. Suddenly, the crowd parted and a man appeared. My heart almost stopped. It was Melissa's father. Shit. In all the confusion and Crystal's ass-kicking tactics, I had forgotten about why I had come shopping with Melissa in the first place. Swearing underneath my breath I tried to come up with a solution, various explanations ran through my head but none were plausible.  
  
"Kai-kun?" Crystal said attempting to get my attention.  
  
"Huh?" I asked confused letting the Kai-kun thing pass.  
  
"I'm going to go eat now. Do you want to come or not?" Crystal questioned.  
  
"Yeah, okay" I replied, my mind still on the Melissa situation.  
  
Walking into the food court with Crystal, I was engulfed in the aroma of food and it was only then that I realized how hungry I was. My stomach grumbled as I surveyed all the fast food places around me and wondered what I should get.  
  
"Ice-cream time" Crystal said gleefully and rushed off in the direction of Wendy's.  
  
Shaking my head, I followed her. When I got there, she was already at the counter ordering. Then when she came back to me, I saw that she was holding two ice-cream cones.  
  
"Do you really like ice-cream that much?" I said glancing at her.  
  
"I love ice-cream. But the other one isn't for me," she explained.  
  
"Then who is it for?" I asked, a sinking suspicion growing in the pit of my empty stomach.  
  
"You stupid" she said and held out the ice-cream. I eyed it with doubt.  
  
"I don't eat ice-cream" I said flatly.  
  
"What?" she exclaimed, her mouth dropping open in shock. "You don't eat ice- cream? Why not? Don't you like it? Or is it just this flavor?"  
  
"I just don't really eat it much. It's too sweet" I said turning away.  
  
"Just eat it okay? I've already bought it. It's cookies & cream, my favorite" she insisted. "I'd eat both of them myself, but I want to eat other things too"  
  
"Aren't you worried about getting fat?" I asked rolling my eyes.  
  
"No. I don't get fat. Well maybe a tiny bit after I eat a lot, but it usually goes down after an hour" she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Probably has something to do with my genes, both my parents were slim. Anyway, I've been eating chili since I was two years old and that speeds up my metabolism."  
  
I smirked in amusement. Most teenage girls are paranoid about getting fat and obsessed about everything they ate. Melissa was a perfect example and she was a stick.  
  
"Well?" Crystal said.  
  
"Well what?" I said.  
  
"Are you just going to stand there or eat the ice-cream?" she asked.  
  
"You know I think I'll just stand here" I said leaning against the wall.  
  
"Kai-kun!" she said pouting. My stomach then chose that moment to grumble particularly loudly.  
  
Crystal giggled and held out the ice-cream in front of my face. Sighing, I reached out and grudgingly accepted it.  
  
Grinning widely, she began to eat her own ice-cream quite happily.  
  
As I took a bite, I found that it wasn't that bad. After we finished our ice-cream I headed towards the sushi bar with Crystal beside me.  
  
"What kind do you like?" I asked when we stopped at the front of the counter.  
  
"Ermm," she said and paused for a moment to allow her eyes to flicker over the sushi. "Teriyaki Chicken" she replied and as she was reaching into her bag for her wallet, I asked the guy for four teriyaki chicken hand rolls. Turning to her, I handed her two and began to head towards a table.  
  
Trailing behind me, Crystal dropped into the seat next to me and once again dug into her bag for her wallet.  
  
"Here" she said and passed me some money.  
  
"Keep it" I said shaking my head. "You paid for the ice-cream"  
  
Shrugging she bit into her hand roll.  
  
"So you got any ideas what you're going to do if Melissa calls you?" she asked after she had finished chewing.  
  
"No. Still working on an explanation" I replied.  
  
"Do you think she'll sue?" Crystal asked absentmindedly.  
  
I thought got a moment. "It's possible. But then again I didn't exactly inflict any damage on her. She won't really have much of a case" I mused before eating.  
  
"I need to get back" Crystal said, checking her watch after we had finished.  
  
"Get to school a bit earlier tomorrow so that we can work on the science prac report" I said mentally grumbling since I would have to wake up half an hour earlier than usual.  
  
"Yeah, okay." She answered. "Bye Kai-kun" she said and quickly gave me a hug then headed in the direction of the car park before I could even protest.  
  
Scowling I thought that I had better go home too. My father had left the day after the dinner with Mr. Hiragazaki and wouldn't be back until next Saturday for the formal function so there was the chance that he wouldn't hear about the Melissa incident as her father worked primarily in Japan. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. But I couldn't exactly count on that either, if he didn't hear about it while he was away, he would surely hear it from Melissa's father himself since he was going to be at the formal function too. Oh well, better work on a game plan till then.  
  
When I arrived home, I immediately went up to my bedroom. I reached into my pocket to retrieve my phone when I felt some cool metal against my hand. Frowning, I pulled it out and found that it was a few coins. How the hell did they get in here? I always kept my money in my wallet. Unless, Crystal had slipped then into my pocket without me knowing when she hugged me. Scowling I sat down in the chair and turned a coin over in my fingers.  
  
Okaiz..thanx 4 the reviews..ermmmz..i've been working on trying 2 get all the spacing right..cuz wheneva I upload it, it gets squished up.hopefully I'll be able to fix dat soon..hopefully u didn't find dis chapter 2 boring.I think the formal function with hiragazaki will probli take place in..let's see..2-3 chapters? Bubaiz 4 now 


	6. Chapter 6: If only I had known

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 6: If only I had known  
  
Crystal's POV  
  
Sitting comfortable in the chair at the library, I tapped my pink pacer idly, the bell on silver bell on the end swinging around crazily causing a soft tinkle to sound through the eerily quiet library.  
  
"You know I can hear that damn bell the moment I entered the library" Kai said from behind me.  
  
"Good morning to you too Kai-kun" I retorted as he slid into the seat next to me and began to take his books out of his bag.  
  
"Did you also know that you're not allowed to eat in the library?" he continued, opening up his science text book.  
  
"Yeah, well this is my breakfast since I had to wake up earlier to get to school earlier." I replied. "Anyway, you're three minutes late" I reminded him checking my watch.  
  
"Let's just get to work" he grumbled.  
  
"Okay-dokey then" I said lazily as I shoved a few sheets of paper towards him. "I had already finished the report before I was told I had to finish it with you. So make whatever changes that you think are required"  
  
He sifted through the papers, his eyes quickly skimming along the lines. "It's fine" he said passing them back to me.  
  
"Good, cause I wasn't going to rewrite it just to please you." I commented. "Here's your copy" I said and took a few more sheets of paper from my diary and handed them to him.  
  
He wordlessly accepted them and stuck it inside his books.  
  
"So did Melissa call you?" I enquired.  
  
"No thank God" Kai muttered.  
  
"So is she really your girlfriend?" I asked curiously.  
  
"Hell no. Like I'd go out with a gold-digging bitch like her" he snapped.  
  
"Gee, you don't have to get all defensive." I replied.  
  
'Yeah well-" he began to say but was cut off from the ringing of his phone. Reaching into his pocket, he was about to answer it when he froze.  
  
"What's the matter?" I hissed. "Pick it up already or else the librarian will kick us out"  
  
"It's Melissa." He stated flatly.  
  
I sighed in annoyance. "Fine then give it to me" I said and held out my hand expectantly. I was actually surprised when he handed it over. Probably didn't want to talk to her. I couldn't rally blame him.  
  
Glancing at the phone, I saw from the caller id that it was Melissa and picked it up.  
  
"KAI!" the voice, presumably Melissa's, screeched on the other end. "YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!"  
  
I held the phone an arm's length away to avoid becoming deaf. Grimacing, I shot a look at Kai. He was merely staring at me and shrugged.  
  
"KAI ARE YOU THERE?" the voice yelled on the other end.  
  
"Will you shut up?" I snapped finally.  
  
"EXCUSE ME? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? WHERE'S KAI?" Melissa shouted.  
  
"Perhaps if you stopped yelling at me for a moment, I could explain" I said scowling. The other end became quiet.  
  
"Fine. Well who's' this?" Melissa said her voice trembling with anger. I smirked.  
  
"I'm Crystal" I stated calmly.  
  
"Well where the hell is Kai?" she spat.  
  
"Sitting right next to me" I said casually.  
  
"WELL THEN WHY DIDN'T HE ANSWER THE PHONE?" she shirked, finally losing control over her voice.  
  
"PROBABLY BECAUSE HE KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO BE LIKE THIS! NOW GO AWAY AND DON'T CALL ANYMORE!" I said finally losing it too and hung up.  
  
"Why didn't you block her?" I said turning back to Kai who was now leafing through his diary.  
  
He shrugged. Guys. They're so stupid at times. I changed the settings on his phone, blocking Melissa from getting through.  
  
As I was about to check my timetable to see when I had science today, a warm hand slipped around waist and I turned to see Rei smiling at me.  
  
"Hey" I said and returned to my work. Rei sat down next to me and gave me a peck on the cheek.  
  
"Umm, Rei, I'm kind of doing work here" I said hesitantly.  
  
"Sorry" he said sheepishly. "But the bell's going to go in a few minutes"  
  
I checked my watch. He was right. I began to gather up my books and saw that Kai was doing the same. Rei held my hand as the three of us walked out of the library and when we reached our homeroom, Rei opened the door so that he could fit in nicely but since he was holding my hand, I had to follow and would've gotten squashed by the door if Kai hadn't shot his arm out and caught it before it hit my face.  
  
"Thanks Kai-kun" I said smiling when he only grunted in return.  
  
During geography, I sat next to the pink haired girl from the week before. What was her name again? Started with M, Michelle? No. Maria? I didn't think so. Think Crystal I thought to myself. Ah! Got it. Her name's Mariah.  
  
"Mariah, did you do the homework?" I asked her hesitantly, unsure about her reaction.  
  
"Oh hey Crystal. I didn't know you were in my geography class. Yeah I finished the homework."  
  
"So how was your weekend?" I asked.  
  
"Okay I suppose. How was yours?" she replied.  
  
"Not too bad." I answered.  
  
"I heard that you and Rei are going out" Mariah whispered.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah we are" I said and absent-mindedly noted that something flashed in her eyes but it disappeared as soon as it appeared.  
  
"Didn't you like Kai?" she asked curiously.  
  
I shrugged in reply.  
  
"He's kind of cold but cute in a tall, dark and handsome way" she commented.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose so. But like the girl he was with on Saturday was a real bitch" I said forgetting she wouldn't know what I was talking about.  
  
"Huh? What girl? Does Kai have a girlfriend?" Mariah said excitedly.  
  
"Oh no. Just some girl that seemed to cling to him" I explained and began to recount the string of events that took place on Saturday. By the time I had finished, Mariah was laughing crazily and the teacher greased her.  
  
"You go girl!" she whispered covering her mouth.  
  
It didn't take long for me and Mariah to become good friends and at lunchtime she introduced me to all her friends. They were all pretty nice I suppose. A bit air headed but nice.  
  
The next day, I had P.E periods 5 & 6 which wasn't too bad. After getting dressed in the sports uniform, the class sat on the benches. Mariah came and sat down next to me and soon Rei arrived and sat next to me too. Kai and Tala were coming towards the benches and Rei called them over.  
  
"I wish that I had bought the skirt instead of the shorts" Mariah said sighing.  
  
"I have the shorts as well, I just wear the skirt" I said as Rei wrapped his arm around my shoulder.  
  
"I wish I had your figure" Mariah said enviously.  
  
"Don't tell me you're one of those girls who think they're fat when they're not' Kai said speaking up.  
  
"Mariah, what have I tell you a million times before?" Tala said warningly.  
  
"Yeah, yeah I know. I'm not fat." Mariah said robotically.  
  
"I didn't know that Mia had P.E with us" I said as she came into sight.  
  
"Yeah, well I suppose it can't be helped" Rei said.  
  
"Okay students" the teacher said. "I'm Mrs. Alphine and today we'll be playing soccer. I want you to assemble into four teams of eight and appoint a captain."  
  
"Okay, we have-" Tala said and quickly began to count. "Five of us. We still need three people"  
  
Kai glacned around. "Zack's pretty good." He said swiftly and mentioned for a brown haired boy to come over.  
  
"Hey, Michael and Connor, want to be on our team?" Rei yelled out across the benches and they began to make their way over.  
  
"Okay, only one more person now" Tala said scanning the benches. "Jade, come over here" he called out and a brown-haired girl trotted over.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"So who's going to be captain?" Mariah asked.  
  
"Me naturally" I replied with a smirk.  
  
"Why you Kai-kun?" Crystal challenged.  
  
"Okay, have you decided on your captain yet?" Ms. Alphine said as she came up to us.  
  
"Yeah. It's me" Kai said shortly.  
  
"Kai-kun! That's not fair" Crystal cried out.  
  
"I am a man. You are a woman. What I say goes" I said crossing my arms. "Now we should decide who's going to play which position. Connor, do you want to play goalie?" A boy, who I assumed was Connor, nodded.  
  
"Good. Now Rei, Michael and Zack will play mid field while Mariah and Crystal will be playing defense"  
  
"And what will you be playing?" Crystal snapped.  
  
"I'll be playing striker with Tala" Kai replied coolly.  
  
"Kai, why do I have to play defense?" Mariah complained.  
  
"It doesn't matter. Tala and I will most likely be able to keep the ball up our end so you won't have to worry about anything. And even if it does come down your way, the mid field players will help you out" Kai explained patiently to an annoyed Mariah.  
  
"If I break a nail," Mariah warned.  
  
"Mariah, you won't break a nail. It's soccer, you use your feet" Rei said.  
  
"Oh yeah right" she said blushing.  
  
"Okay, listen. Up. First team is Andy's versus Mary's. Then it'll be Mark's team versus Kai's" Mrs. Alphine said.  
  
The first match started and I closely studied the opposing teams. Mary's team would be easy enough to beat since it was compiled of mostly girls who would squeal whenever the ball came near them. Andy's team wasn't too bad but was nothing we couldn't handle. Satisfied and confident we would win I leant against the wall watched the match. As I predicted, Andy's team won fairly easily considering who they were up against.  
  
"Kai's and Mark's team will now be playing" Ms. Alphine said and blew her whistle. I made sure that everybody was assembled on the field and smirked when I saw Crystal looking extremely pissed off. She probably didn't even know how to kick the ball properly.  
  
The game started and we took an early lead. But then the ball suddenly flew down the other end of the field, past the mid fielders and headed straight towards Mariah and Crystal who had decided to sitting down at their end unconcernedly chatting. Crystal looked up, saw the ball coming, said something to Mariah and stood up. The strikers from Mark's team were within a few meters of the ball which rolled to a stop at Crystal's foot.  
  
Oh shit. Well at least Connor was a damn good goalie.  
  
The without any warning, Crystal sprang to life. Flickering her eyes across the field, she bought her foot back ever so slightly, she kicked the ball swiftly and accurately and within a moment, it was headed directly towards me. I stuck my foot out and managed to deflect it in time and dribbled it to the goal and scored.  
  
I glanced back to see Crystal sitting on the grass once again, chatting to Mariah. Shaking my head in confusion, I wondered if it was wrong of me to have assigned Crystal to play defense. Perhaps her amazingly accurate kick had just been a fluke but a nagging thought in my head said otherwise.  
  
After a few more minutes I began to realise that Crystal could actually kick the ball accurately. I scowled and called a time out.  
  
"Crystal you're going to be playing mid-field now. Rei, you'll drop back to defense." I said flatly.  
  
"Oh and what made you change your mind about me playing defence?" she said crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at me.  
  
"Because you can actually kick the ball" I snapped.  
  
"Soccer balls aren't the only balls I can kick you know" she retorted, spun around and headed back to the field.  
  
"Whoa dude, you got burnt" Tala said patting my sympathetically on my back.  
  
I pushed his hand away. "Come on let's get back" I said gruffly when the whistle went.  
  
Crystal could not only kick a soccer ball, she could head butt, tackled and steal off any opponent on the field. I glanced at the scoreboard. 0-7 it read. I smirked, we were winning naturally.  
  
When the half-time siren sounded, I gestured everybody to come over.  
  
"Okay, Tala, you're playing mid-field now, Crystal, you're playing striker" I said.  
  
"What? Now you want me to play striker with you?" Crystal replied.  
  
"Yeah. Is that a problem?" I said scowling. The only reason why I wanted her to play striker was because I was merely curious about the extent of her abilities.  
  
"No, none at all. But I do seem to recall a certain blue-haired guy who has said, not only once, but a few times, that I am merely a woman. How would you know that I wouldn't scream hysterically at the ball when I'm out there?" Crystal answered.  
  
"You won't" I snapped. "Now no more arguments. The second half is going to start any moment."  
  
I was right to have Crystal to play striker after all I realised after the match was over. We had won, by a LOT. 0-23 to be exact.  
  
Crystal had exceeded my expectation, she proved to be a flawless striker, all of her shots, smooth and precise. She didn't miss once. Which was amazing since she was a girl.  
  
"So Kai-kun. Still think I can't kick balls properly" she said as she ran past me to the girls changerooms.  
  
I scowled. Stupid girl. Asking me a rhetorical question like that. She knew very well that she had kicked ass on the field.  
  
Crystal's POV  
  
As I bathroom doors open and went to a stall to change, I head Mariah's voice. I was just about to call out to her when I heard my name. I let my curiosity get the better of me.  
  
"I can't believe you're not going to do anything about Crystal and Rei" another voice, which sounded suspiciously like Mia's said.  
  
"Shut up Mia." Mariah said.  
  
"Why should I? I mean you're the one who's liked Rei ever since yr.7" Mia continued.  
  
"So? He never showed any signs that he liked me back" Mariah said softly.  
  
"Still you can't let that bitch Crystal have him" Mia insisted.  
  
Oh how I wanted to strangle Mia. I clenched my fists in anger, waiting for Mariah's reply.  
  
"Don't you dare call my friend a bitch. Crystal is a sweet, smart and caring person. Just because you're jealous you try and turn me against her. Crystal's is my friend and I won't let Rei come between us" Mariah said angrily before stalking out the door. A few moments later Mia followed and the door shut with an echoing thwack.  
  
Mariah had liked Rei since yr.7? Why didn't she tell me? I wouldn't have gone out with Rei if only I had known. I mean like, I didn't even like him that much. Whenever he was around I felt uncomfortable. Sure he was cute and kinda funny, but deep down inside, I knew that I could never grow to love him as much as Mariah obviously did, even if I spend a million years with him. Stepping out of the stall, I decided then and there to break it off with Rei.  
  
So, yeah I know it's kinda boring right? Don't worry, it'll get interesting soon. But if you have any ideas, review okay? 


	7. Chapter 7: Pinky Promise?

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 6: Pinky promise?  
  
Crystal's POV  
  
Pushing my way through the crowd, I made my way towards Rei's locker. Better to get this over and done with I told myself. I only hoped that I wouldn't hurt him so much. Better be gentle, I reminded myself as I approached Rei.  
  
"Hey baby" he said when he saw me.  
  
"Hey Rei" I replied back, forcing myself to smile.  
  
"Umm, Rei, could I please talk to you?" I said, wondering if he could tell what was coming.  
  
"Yeah sure, what about?" he asked as he shut his locker.  
  
"Ermm, us" I said, almost faltering. Rei frowned and gestured for me to follow him. He led me to an empty classroom.  
  
"Are you-" he hesitated. "Breaking-up with me?"  
  
"Yes" I said firmly. "I'm sorry Rei, but I don't think that I can possibly return the feelings that you have for me."  
  
"It's okay" he said sighing softly. "You know it's funny, out of all the girls I've dated you're the first that has broken up with me" he laughed quietly.  
  
"But we'll still be friends, right?" I asked him.  
  
"Of course. Did you know that you're very good at letting a guy down gently?" he suddenly told me.  
  
"Really?" I replied in surprise. "Is that a good or bad thing?"  
  
"It's a good thing I suppose" he said after a moment. "Have you broken up with many guys before?"  
  
How should I answer that? I wondered.  
  
"Only a few" I responded.  
  
"Well that's not surprising. You're a very beautiful girl Crystal, with a sweet personality, it'd be no wonder that you've had a few boyfriends" Rei said sincerely.  
  
"Thanks Rei" I replied blushing slightly.  
  
"Why don't we go find the others and have lunch now?" Rei suggested.  
  
"Yeah, okay" I said, realising just how hungry I was.  
  
Inside I was relieved that Rei had taken the break-up very well. Now it was only a matter of getting Rei to realize his feelings for Mariah..  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I was fumbling with my lock when I was suddenly hugged from behind. Gee, I wonder who in the world it could be, a little sarcastic voice in my head said.  
  
"Let go of me" I demanded.  
  
"Why are you always so grouchy?" Crystal said obliging.  
  
"Because you're around" I grumbled and went back to attempting to open my locker.  
  
Slim fingers snaked around my hands and snatched the lock out of it. They twirled it with a click and it opened.  
  
After I finished getting my books and slung my bag over my shoulders, Crystal was still standing there.  
  
"What?" I muttered.  
  
"Do I have to have a reason for waiting for you Kai-kun?" she replied sweetly.  
  
"Yes. With you, there's always a reason for everything" I retorted and began to walk out of the school.  
  
Unfortunately, Crystal chose to follow.  
  
"Well don't forget who helped you out with the whole Melissa fiasco" she reminded me.  
  
Great, now she thinks I owe her a favor or something.  
  
"Well. Out with it already" I snapped scowling.  
  
"Okay, now that you mention it, I do in fact have teeny insy favor to ask of you" she finally admitted.  
  
"No" I said flatly as we reached the car park.  
  
"Oh pretty please Kai-kun? At least hear me out" she pleaded.  
  
"No" I repeated. When we reached my car, I car I opened the car doors and sat inside.  
  
To my annoyance, Crystal sat in the passenger seat.  
  
"Get out" I stated irritably.  
  
"Make me" she said childishly.  
  
"Fine I will" I said and made a move to push her out of the car.  
  
She blinked at me once saying, "You shouldn't push girls"  
  
I scowled. Damn, she had me there.  
  
"Get out now before I really lose it Crystal" I warned her.  
  
"No. Not until you hear me out" she said, sticking my tongue out at me.  
  
"You are so immature" I told her, then finally sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine. You have one minute"  
  
"Thanks Kai-kun" Crystal said before beginning. "Okay, I need you to help me get Rei and Mariah together"  
  
"But aren't you with Rei?" I asked.  
  
"Well, I broke up with him at lunch today." She confessed.  
  
"Well then what do you want me to do about it?" I said impatiently.  
  
"Talk to Rei?" she responded hopefully.  
  
"Will you get out of my car if I said I would?" I answered.  
  
"No. I'd get out if you promise you would" she said.  
  
"Fine. I promise to talk to Rei about Mariah. Although, everybody but him knows that Mariah has liked him since yr.7" I said and looked at her questionably when she stuck her pinky out.  
  
"Pinky swear?" she asked looking at me straight in the eye.  
  
"Are you serious? We're in yr.12 in case you haven't realized, not in primary school" I said scowling.  
  
"Please Kai-kun?" she looked at me with puppy dog eyes.  
  
I reluctantly took her pinky in mine, gave it a quick shake and let go.  
  
"Thanks Kai-kun!" she said happily. "I'll come up with a plan over the weekend"  
  
"Just get out my car please" I said rolling my eyes.  
  
Sorry about this chapter being so short. I was actually going to have Crystal start the plan about getting Rei and Mariah together but decided to start that after the formal function. 


	8. Chapter 8: Introducing Hiragazaki Akina

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 8: Introducing Hiragazaki Akina  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I scowled at my reflection as I buttoned up my black silk shirt in the mirror.  
  
I so did not want to go to this function. Melissa would probably be there and I'd have to face up with what happened last week. Not that I was afraid of my father or anything, it's just that he could make life quite unpleasant. Last time when I openly insulted some daughter of one of my father's business clients, he took my car away and I had to take lifts from Tala and Rei for a few weeks.  
  
No, I would have to do this whether I wanted to or not. It was my duty as a Hiwatari.  
  
I waited patiently in the foyer for my mother to come down. My father had decided to go to the function from work. "Kai, we'll be taking the limousine" Mum said, entering the foyer.  
  
"Where is the function being held anyway?" I asked.  
  
"In the ballroom at Tokyo hotel." She answered. "But I daresay that your father will invite a few of the 'select' business men back to the house for a more private discussion" I smirked. At least I could be sure Melissa's father wouldn't be invited back.  
  
"Who exactly will be attending the function?" I asked curiously.  
  
"Well, practically all the most important business men and women in Asia will attend. Each will bring their family and perhaps some representatives from their company" mum replied.  
  
I rolled my eyes. No wonder my father was using our hotel's ballroom to accommodate them all. Tokyo Hotel was without a doubt the most lavish, prestigious and profitable hotel in Japan. And my family owned it. I sighed as I climbed into the limo after my mother.  
  
Upon arriving at the hotel, my mother glided through the hallways, to the main ballroom. The hotel had several ballrooms, each attached to the other in some way. I wondered if food would be served. Like real food, not those finger food stuff that didn't fill you up unless you eat like fifty. And believe me, I know.  
  
"I don't believe Mr. Hiragazaki and his daughter are here yet. So go and-" she began glancing around the room.  
  
"Socialize?" I finished for her.  
  
"Yes, please do" she requested before dropping her voice to a whisper "I have to as well. Don't think that I like it any more than you do" and then she left and was instantly surrounded by crowd of woman with sparkly cocktail dresses several sizes too small for them.  
  
After half an hour or so of endless chatter about school related topics with a few narrow-minded snobs, my mother found me and told me we were to meet our father. Hiding my scowl, I politely excused myself from the conversation and followed her to where my father was standing in the middle of a large ring composed of many business men and women.  
  
"Ah, Kai. There you are. I'm sure you remember Mr. Hiragazaki?" my father said to me.  
  
"Yes father." I responded and turned to see Mr. Hiragazaki standing next to him. "It's good to see you again Mr. Hiragazaki" I said smiling for the benefit of my father.  
  
"Well, why don't I introduce you to my daughter? I'm sure you'll both get on marvelously" he replied as he turned around to face a girl's back. "Akina?" he called out to her.  
  
"Yes father?" she replied and turned around.  
  
I froze, staring into familiar baby blue eyes with emerald specks in them.  
  
"Allow me to introduce you to my daughter, Hiragazaki Akina" Mr. Hiragazaki said.  
  
I was speechless for a moment before my mother gently nudged me.  
  
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Hiragazaki Akina" I managed to get out.  
  
"Likewise, I am sure" she replied smiling slowly.  
  
Glancing over at my father, he curtly nodded and I held my hand out. She placed he hand in mine and I lifted it to my lips gently and lowered it back down. At least Rei wasn't around to see this.  
  
"Well why don't we begin the dinner now?" my father suggested, returning to his role as host.  
  
As sat down, Crystal or should I say Hiragazaki Akina was seated next to me. I didn't find this surprising as my father would've doubtlessly arranged this. Sighing, I thought that at least we'd be eating real food.  
  
"So Hiragazaki-san, what school do you attend?" my mother asked her kindly.  
  
"Please call me, Akina." Crystal replied smiling. "I attend St. Xavier Secondary College, Mrs. Hiwatari."  
  
"Well If I'm going to call you Akina, it would only be fit if you called me Katrina" my mother answered.  
  
Great, my mother and the brat were on first name basis now.  
  
"Is that so? Then you go to school with my son" my father said interested.  
  
"Yes, I do. I'm in most of his classes" Crystal responded softly.  
  
"Well, this is certainly interesting Kevin. Both our children, in the same class." Mr. Hiragazaki commented.  
  
"Akina, your name means 'Spring Flower' right?" my mother enquired.  
  
"Yes, it does" Crystal replied.  
  
I glanced over at my father to see him silently telling me to say something. I sighed, great.  
  
"Are you finding school in Japan different from yours in Hong Kong" I said at an attempt to make conversation.  
  
"It is very interesting, the teaching methods here are different" Crystal replied after some thought.  
  
And so that was how it went for the rest of the dinner. Polite conversation all the way. I was bored stiff by the time it was over.  
  
"Kai, why don't you and Crystal go and look around?" my father said pointedly after we were finished. "Dessert will be served in half an hour or so"  
  
"Yes father" I said obediently, took Crystal's hand and led her away from the table into another ballroom which wasn't as crowded.  
  
"So Kai-kun, have you done the maths homework yet?" she asked almost casually.  
  
"You want to talk about maths homework now?" I asked in disbelief.  
  
"Sure, why not?" she replied.  
  
"How can you be so calm at a time like this?" I questioned.  
  
"It's simple really. I knew you would be here so it came as no surprise really" she answered.  
  
"Well then how come you never bought it up?" I snapped.  
  
"Tsk, tsk Kai. Didn't your parents tell you to socialize particularly with me?" she said lightly. "Anyway, it's not like you asked me whether I was Mr. Li Hiragazaki's daughter. I don't like to boast you know"  
  
"But your name's Crystal Chan isn't it?" I asked in confusion.  
  
"My English name is Crystal. My Chinese name is Chan Mei-Lin. So when I came to Japan I decided to use my English first name and my Chinese surname instead. My Japanese name is Hiragazaki Akina; it's what my father calls me." She answered.  
  
"Well, well, well" a voice behind us said. "Look who it is"  
  
I groaned inwardly. Please not now, I thought as me and Crystal slowly turned around to face the voice.  
  
"Kai sweetie-pie! I've been looking all over for you!" Melissa exclaimed and rushed at me.  
  
Instinctively I stepped aside to avoid her hug and she ended up falling down at Crystal's feet.  
  
I saw Crystal's eyes narrow as she looked down at Melissa who was now getting up. I wondered whether Crystal would kick Melissa's ass again. But then I remember where I was. At the Tokyo Hotel. I didn't know whether Crystal would care about where she kicked Melissa's ass.  
  
As Melissa got up, she faced Crystal who was still holding my hand.  
  
"You" she spat.  
  
"I have a name you know" Crystal replied pleasantly.  
  
"Like I care about your name. You were the one who answered Kai's phone the other day, right?" Melissa said angrily.  
  
"Yes, that's correct. Don't forget I was also the once who kicked your ass last week at the shops." Crystal reminded her. "I believe the paramedics had to be summoned"  
  
"How dare you insult me" Melissa cried out. "Who do you think you are?"  
  
"Must you always ask that question?" Crystal said, shaking her head. "I know that I said that I prefer to keep my father's name disclosed but I think that this situation calls for it since she did ask me" she whispered into my ear.  
  
"Well? What are you doing here? You're probably just some whore who snuck in" Melissa said tossing her hair over her shoulder.  
  
"You really want to know what I'm doing here?" Crystal replied, her lips curving into a smile. "Fine I'll tell you. My name is Hiragazaki Akina and this formal function is being held in my father, Mr. Hiragazaki's honor"  
  
Melissa started at her for a moment before paling considerably. "Your father is Mr. Li Hiragazaki?" she finally managed to say trembling.  
  
"Yes" Crystal said in a bored tone, inspecting her nails.  
  
I checked my watch and realized that dessert was about to start.  
  
"Hiragazaki, dessert is about to be served" I reminded her promptly.  
  
"Okay" Crystal replied as she slipped her hand in mine.  
  
"So what should I call you? Hiragazaki or Crystal?" I asked her.  
  
"You may call me Akina out of school and Crystal when we're in school" she replied after a moment of thought.  
  
"Shouldn't I call you Hiragazaki-san?" I said.  
  
"No" she said smiling. "I call you by your first name Kai-kun. So why shouldn't you?" she answered.  
  
"Akina, I'm glad to see you're getting on well with Hiwatari Kai" her father said as we approached the table.  
  
"Well, shall we begin with dessert?" my father asked waving his hand towards a table.  
  
"Come on Kai-kun" Akina said tugging at my hand in the direction of the dessert table.  
  
I had to admit, the chefs had outdone themselves this time. There dozens of different cakes, fruit and slices as well as many different desserts which I had never seen before. I heard Akina sigh in happiness next to me and I smirked. She had such a sweet tooth. I grabbed a plate and asked her what she wanted.  
  
"Everything!" she said bursting into giggles while taking the plate from me.  
  
Man, she hadn't even had any sugar yet.  
  
After Akina piled her plate with desserts, we headed back to the table.  
  
I saw my mother look at us with amusement and I scowled. At least Akina wasn't a snob.  
  
"Open up Kai-kun" she said.  
  
"Why?" I asked.  
  
"So that you can eat!" she said.  
  
"What-" I began to say but was cut off when a spoonful of chocolate cake was stuffed into my mouth. I didn't want to eat cake but I didn't want to choke either. So I swallowed. When I finished I glared at Akina who was giggling madly.  
  
"What?" she asked innocently.  
  
"I didn't want to eat cake" I grumbled.  
  
"Well you're going to help me finish this plate of dessert whether you want to or not" Akina said, her eyes twinkling.  
  
"I'd like to see you try and make me" I said stubbornly, crossing my arms.  
  
"Oh really? Do you want a plate full of cake stuffed down your throat" she asked teasingly.  
  
"Give me the fork" I said scowling.  
  
"I can't eat another mouthful" Akina said after a while.  
  
"Really?" I asked, a plan forming in my mind.  
  
"Yeah, you-" she began but never finished as it was me this time who shoved a spoonful of chocolate mousse down her throat. Her eyes widened comically before she promptly swallowed.  
  
"Hey, that wasn't fair" she protested.  
  
"You did it to me before" I said shrugging.  
  
"Kai, we're going back to the house" my father informed me as he swept past the table with Mr. Hiragazaki and some other business people. I looked over at Akina.  
  
"I suppose you'll be coming too" I said without looking at her.  
  
Okay, there you have it, now you know that Crystal is Mr. Hiragazaki's daughter. Now that I look at it, this was a really long chapter. Don't forget to review if you want more. 


	9. Chapter 9: So incredibly stupid

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 9: So incredibly stupid  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
As the limousine pulled up at Kai's driveway, I looked at the house in awe.  
  
Gee, it's just as big as mine I thought. The door was opened by the chauffer and I stepped out after my father.  
  
"Welcome to my home" Mr. Hiwatari said.  
  
"You have a magnificent house Kevin" my father said in return.  
  
"Kai" Mr. Hiwatari called out.  
  
"Yes father" Kai said as he came over.  
  
"Why don't you show Hiragazaki Akina around the house?" his father suggested to him.  
  
"Of course father" he answered, took my hand once more and led me away.  
  
After a quick tour of the house, we stopped at the lounge room.  
  
"Can I see your room?" I asked curiously.  
  
"Why would you want to see my room?" he responded suspiciously.  
  
"Because I want to" I replied simply.  
  
"You want a lot of things" he grumbled before leading me up the spiraling staircase.  
  
We stopped in front of an oak paneled door before going in. I glanced around me curiously, taking in the details. His room was impeccably neat considering that he was a guy and his walls were painted royal blue. His desk stood in one corner with a computer, printer and scanner sitting on it and a bookcase lined the opposite wall. A king-sized bed stood in the centre of the room, covered with black sheets and I flopped down onto it.  
  
"Do you mind" Kai said pointedly.  
  
"Not at all" I said cheekily. "God you're heavy' I remarked when he sat down on the bed and it sagged.  
  
"Are you implying that I'm fat?" he questioned.  
  
""You sound like a girl asking that question." I said giggling.  
  
"Well what do you want to do now?" he asked after a few moments of silence.  
  
"Can we go outside?" I asked, looking out the window.  
  
"Fine" Kai agreed before we went out of his room.  
  
As I pushed the back door open, a cold breeze brushed past and I broke out in goosebumps. I walked around the immense garden which was lit up with a soft yellow glow from the garden lights strategically placed. Wrapping my arms around myself to ward off the cold, I sat in a deck chair which faced the pool and watched the light rays bounce across the water.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Are you cold?" I asked Akina.  
  
"No" she replied.  
  
For the first time that night, I looked at what she was wearing. A black sleeveless dress fell down just below her knees and ended in folded layers. Her hair was held up in a stylish twist with a silver dragon pin studded with diamonds while a few strands of hair framed her face I sighed. "Don't bullshit me Akina. You're shivering" I finally said. Leaning over, I draped my jacket over her shoulders.  
  
"I can take care of myself Kai-kun" she said disdainfully. "But nice jacket" "So has your father talked to you about Melissa yet?" she asked after a few minutes.  
  
"No." I answered.  
  
"You know her father's one of my father's accountants. And my father has a lot of accountants" she trailed off.  
  
"What, you think you can get her father fired or something?" I asked inquisitively.  
  
"Well perhaps not fired, just put in her place for a little while." Akina responded. "Anyway, did you see what she was wearing tonight? And she had the nerve to accuse of being a whore!"  
  
Since I never really pay much attention to what other people are wearing I had to think back. "Now that I think about it, Melissa was dressed like a whore." I said as an image of Melissa dressed in a short red glittery dress with a split up to her thigh came to mind.  
  
"So how come your mother didn't come tonight?" I asked.  
  
Silence. I looked over at Akina. Weird.  
  
"Akina?" I questioned.  
  
"My mother died when I was twelve" she finally said quietly after a few minutes.  
  
"I'm sorry" I replied automatically. Then after a hesitated second I said "I'd die if my mother died" Akina was looking down at her hands when her teeth suddenly began to chatter. "Maybe we should go in" I suggested.  
  
Akina stood and I was about to as well but instead of walking towards the door she came and sat on my lap. Not again I thought as she leaned her head against my chest.  
  
"We'll go inside in a little while" she mumbled sleepily.  
  
After who knows how long, I looked down to see Akina sleeping soundly, her face buried in my shirt. Sighing, I stood up carefully, knowing that if she stayed out any longer, she'd probably catch a cold. Leaning over, I cautiously lifted her up into my arms and headed towards the door. Balancing her weight, I managed to get the door open with my foot and stepped into the warmth of the house. Now where to put her? I thought stopping for a moment.  
  
"Kai, is that you?" mum's voice called out.  
  
"Yeah" I replied as she came around the corner. I saw her eyes light up with amusement when she spotted my jacket around Akina's shoulders and her in my arms.  
  
"Well, what have you two been up to?" she asked in an undertone so as not to wake her up.  
  
"We were in the garden and Akina fell asleep" I said shortly.  
  
"You're both on first name basis now?" she enquired.  
  
"Mum" I said impatiently, shifting my feet around.  
  
"Okay, okay. Why don't you put her in your room for the time being? It is nearly 3.00am now, it's no surprise that she's tired" my mother said.  
  
Rolling my eyes I ascended the stairs to my bedroom, kicked the door open and laid Akina gently on my bed. As I was about to stand up straight, she wrapped her arms around my neck tightly so that I was now stuck half standing. Scowling in annoyance, I untangled myself from her arms. Now what? I wondered as I yawned. May as well sleep, but then I remembered that Akina was currently occupying my bed. Great. Well, I should probably go downstairs and see whether there are any snobs for me to entertain.  
  
When I entered the lounge room, I heard my father and his 'associates' talking. Groaning, I mentally prepared myself as I approached him.  
  
"Kai" he said in surprise, then looked behind me. "Where's Hiragazaki Akina?" he said beginning to frown.  
  
"She's sleeping in my room" I answered curtly, casting my eye around the room. Good, no snobs. These people must be the ones who are too caught up with their work to even have children.  
  
"Well it is late" Mr. Hiragazaki said checking his watch. "I suppose it would be best if we left. Hiwatari Kai, will you show me to my daughter?"  
  
"Of course" I said and waited for him to stand before leading him to my room.  
  
"Why don't you allow her to sleep here tonight Li?" my father said appearing in my doorway.  
  
"Are you sure about that?" he replied.  
  
"Of course. She is more than welcome here. I'll have Kai send her home tomorrow. Anyway, it would be a shame to wake her up now" my father reassured him.  
  
"Well then, if it is of no inconvenience for you, then she shall stay the night" Mr. Hiragazaki said finally giving in.  
  
"Excellent" my father said smiling broadly and led Mr. Hiragazaki out of the room. "Katrina?" I heard him call out as he exited.  
  
Several minutes later, my mother entered my room. "Kai, fetch me one of your shirts will you?" she requested.  
  
"What for?" I asked opening a drawer.  
  
"So that Akina can wear it" mum replied.  
  
"Can't she wear what she's wearing now?" I muttered handing her a blue shirt.  
  
"Of course not! Don't be silly. You can't sleep in such a pretty dress like hers" she replied laughing. "Now leave us for a moment" I obliged closing the door behind me and leaning on it. Smirking, I wondered what Akina would think of all of this when she woke up the next morning.  
  
"Kai, you may come back in now" my mother said, her voice muffled through the door. I re-entered to find that Akina was now dressed in my shirt; her dress neatly folded lying on my chair.  
  
"It was a wonder she didn't wake" my mother whispered. "Now where do you want to sleep tonight Kai?"  
  
"Excuse me?" I said confused.  
  
"Well you can sleep in here with Akina, the bed is big enough and your father surely won't mind, or you can sleep in a guestroom." She said stating my choices.  
  
"I will sleep in the guestroom" I chose firmly. Like I was going to sleep in the same bed as her.  
  
"Fine, the room to the right of yours has already been made up since I thought that you would be inclined to sleep there" my mother said ushering me out of my room.  
  
This was so incredibly stupid.  
  
Well there you go, another chapter finished. I still have heaps of homework to do. *sigh* Remember to review! 


	10. Chapter 10: Unfamilar surroundings

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 10: Unfamiliar surroundings.  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
Rolling over in the bed, I suddenly found myself falling onto the floor with a thump. Scowling, I opened one eye as I struggled to get back onto the bed. My mind unconsciously registered the fact that the bed sheets were black instead of baby pink. Wait a moment, I thought as I snuggled back underneath the covers. Black sheets? My eyes, both of them this time, flew open. Sitting up straight, I rubbed my eyes and took in my surroundings. A desk with a computer, scanner and printer faced me. Huh? I thought in confusion. I rubbed my eyes once again. I didn't have a desk in my room. I looked at the bed in which I had been sleeping in. That's weird. Where'd all my stuffed toys go? And how come the walls were dark blue instead of baby blue?  
  
What was up with the unfamiliar surroundings? Then it hit me. This was not my room. This was Kai's room. I mentally hit myself for being so slow. But what was I doing sleeping in Kai's bedroom? As that thought entered my mind, the memories of last night came rushing back. The formal function, the shock on Kai's face when he realized that I was Mr. Hiragazaki's daughter, sitting by the pool with Kai at his house. The images came rapidly but I still could not recall exactly how I ended up in Kai's bed. Frowning I looked at Kai's bedside table and the clock sitting upon it told me that it was 9.30am. Looking closer, I saw a slip of paper with my name on it and I picked it up.  
  
Upon unfolding it, I found that it read:  
  
Good morning Akina-san. I trust you had a good night's sleep. Your clothes are being dry-cleaned and you may have breakfast whenever you wish. Katrina P.S Kai's in the room to the right.  
  
Huh? If Katrina had my clothes, then what was I wearing now? Lifting the covers up, I discovered all I had on was my underwear and a blue shirt. A rather large blue shirt at that. Shrugging, I decided to go back to sleep.  
  
About an hour later, I woke up again and decided to go down for breakfast. As I stepped out of the room, I paused for a moment wondering whether I should go and see whether Kai was in the room to the right. Why not? I thought and pushed the door to his room open. I squinted through the darkness to see a lump in the middle of the bed. Grinning widely, I approached it quietly and poked it. The lump grunted in response and rolled over. Attempting to contain my giggles, I poked at it again. This time no response. Frowning I decided to take more drastic action.  
  
"Kai-kun?" I whispered softly. He mumbled something incoherent underneath his breath. I yanked at the covers slightly and he pulled them back towards him. Sighing I sat at the edge of the bed and prodded him.  
  
"What?" he finally muttered.  
  
"Are you awake yet?" I asked.  
  
"I am now thanks to you" he grumbled and sat up. His two-toned blue hair was ruffled up and he ran his hand through it unconcernedly.  
  
"So uhh, how exactly did I end up asleep in your bedroom?" I questioned.  
  
"What? You don't remember?" Kai replied in disbelief.  
  
"Well, not exactly" I confessed.  
  
"What do you remember?" he asked.  
  
"I remember the function and that we were by the pool for a while" I answered.  
  
"You really are hopeless you know that?" he said sighing. "Okay, well we were going to go inside when you kinda fell asleep on me. So I picked you up and mum told me to take you up to my room. Then when your father was about to leave, my father suggested that you stay here tonight. And your father agreed" Kai explained.  
  
"Oh, okay then" I replied and absentmindedly wrapped my arms around myself.  
  
"Cold again?" Kai asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Of course not" I said indignantly. He stared at me. "Well maybe just a little" I finally admitted. I shifted over so that I was now next to Kai, then I dove under the covers.  
  
"What are you doing?" Kai said scowling.  
  
"I'm cold. You are warm. Your bed is warm. You do the math" I said rolling my eyes at him.  
  
"You can't come in" he protested. "I'm sleeping here"  
  
"No. You were sleeping here. You are now awake" I corrected and snuggled closer to him.  
  
"You are such a brat you know" he grumbled.  
  
"You said that last time too." I reminded him. "And don't forget, even if I am a brat, I'm a damn cute one at that"  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Huh? I thought vaguely, wasn't I awake a few minutes ago? Something stirred beside me and I looked down. Akina. What was she doing sleeping in my room? Wait a moment; this wasn't my room but the guestroom. Oh yeah, she came in and woke me up then she was cold so she snuggled up against me. I scowled as that thought. Stupid brat. I suppose I dosed off after a while.  
  
I then remember that all I had on was my black boxers and all she had on was her underwear and my shirt. I weighed up the possibilities. If I moved she would surely wake up, but then if I didn't who knew how long I could be stuck here for. Knowing Akina, she could probably sleep through an earthquake. I was about to get up slowly when I realized something.  
  
My arms were wrapped around Akina's waist, keeping her close to me. I froze. Oh shit, how did that happen? But before I could contemplate that thought, Akina shifted impossibly closer and leaned her head against my chest. What the hell? Time to put a stop to all of this madness. There was no way in hell I was going to have her wake up with my arms wrapped around her waist.  
  
"Kai-kun?" she murmured sleepily.  
  
Uh-oh. Too late for that.  
  
"Akina, would you mind moving away?" I stated stiffly.  
  
"Huh?" she said, obviously confused.  
  
"You know what? Forget it." I said and quickly got out of the bed before she would awaken fully and realize how close we were.  
  
"Kai-kun?" she asked, sitting up in the bed.  
  
"Yeah?" I replied gruffly and turned to face her.  
  
"Can we have breakfast? I'm hungry" she said.  
  
"Sure" I said relaxing. For a moment I thought she was about to ask me why we had slept so closely.  
  
"Well, what do you want?" I asked Akina after we went downstairs to the dinning room.  
  
"Can I have waffles with ice-cream?" she answered hopefully.  
  
"Ice-cream? This early in the morning?" I replied in disbelief.  
  
"Sure, why not? Anyway, it's nearly twelve. We'll be having lunch soon enough" she pointed out.  
  
"Fine" I agreed. "What flavor ice-cream did you want?" 


	11. CHapter 11: Pretty in pink

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 11: Pretty in pink  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
"Thanks for breakfast Kai-kun" I said after we had finished.  
  
"Whatever" he grumbled.  
  
Kai only had a cup of juice and toast for breakfast. How typical. I, on the other hand, had waffles and ice-cream.  
  
"Kai? Are you in here?" his mother called out and stuck her head in the doorway of the dinning room. "Oh good. You're both up. I was wondering when you two were going to wake up. Akina, your clothes won't be ready today I'm afraid. I'm sure Kai will lend you some of his clothes. Stay for as long as you want. I daresay that Kai would enjoy the company" she said and left us.  
  
"Well come on then" he grumbled.  
  
"Take your pick" Kai said, opening the door to his walk in robe.  
  
I peered inside to see shirts of every different colour of the rainbow line on side and jackets, pants and other items line the other.  
  
Walking over to the shirts, I flicked past a few before stopping at a pale baby pink button down shirt. Tugging it off the hanger gently, I then went in search of pants. This time, there wasn't that much variety of pants. Finally, I decide on a pair of loose black pants and closing the door, I changed.  
  
When I stepped back out, Kai was lying on his bed with his eyes closed.  
  
"Took you long enough" he said when I came over.  
  
"Yeah well you're the first guy I've met who actually has a decent variety of clothes to choose from." I responded. "Also, I never imagined you as a pink person"  
  
"My mother bought me that shirt" he said in return and opened his eyes. "So what do you want to do now?"  
  
"I don't know. This is your house" I replied laying down on the bed next to him.  
  
"Get off" he mumbled.  
  
"Make me" I retorted childishly.  
  
"I feel like I'm babysitting" Kai grumbled before sitting up.  
  
"Well what do you normally do when you get up?" I continued choosing to ignore his comment.  
  
"I normally train but I can't do that with you here" he said.  
  
"Why not?" I asked.  
  
"Because you're a girl" he replied simply.  
  
"What's that suppose to mean?" I said indignantly.  
  
"Exactly what I say" he responded.  
  
"Well you can still train. It's not like I'll interrupt you or anything. I'll just use your computer while you train" I suggested and went over to the computer facing the bed.  
  
"Fine" I'll be in one of the back rooms downstairs if you need me" he finally agreed when he saw me turn on the new computer.  
  
After an hour of playing around on Kai's computer, I decided to make my way downstairs. After finding my way through the mazelike hallways and opening the doors of at least a dozen rooms, I finally found him.  
  
He was executing short sharp kicks to a kicking bag dodging it as it swung dangerously back at him from the force.  
  
"What do you want?" he paused his attack to face me even though I hadn't said a word to alert him to my presence.  
  
"Nothing" I answered with a shrug.  
  
"Well then why are you here?" he snapped in irritation.  
  
"You don't have to be so rude you know" I retorted.  
  
"Well I don't want to be stuck babysitting a brat all day along" he muttered before asking hopefully, "Do you want to go home now?"  
  
"Yes I will go home now" I replied rolling my eyes at him and taking up out my mobile from my pocket.  
  
"What are you doing?" Kai questioned as I began to dial.  
  
"Calling a taxi what else?" I said in exasperation.  
  
"Don't bother, I'll drop you off" Kai finally said snatching a hand out to stop me from calling out.  
  
"Oh no your majesty, remember I'm just a brat so you needn't bother wasting your time driving me around" I replied sweetly retrieving my phone from his hand.  
  
"Do you have to be like that?" he said scowling before walking out the room. "Well c'mon" he called over his shoulder and I shrugged and followed him.  
  
"Thanks for the ride" I told Kai politely as he pulled to a stop in front of my house.  
  
He grunted something which sounded vaguely like you're welcome.  
  
Grinning wickedly I leaned over the car seat to plan a light peck on his cheek before jumping out of the car.  
  
"Bye Kai-kun" I called out and caught sight of his scowling face before I entered the house. 


	12. Chapter 12: And so it began

Two hearts, one love.  
  
Chapter 12:  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
After Kai dropped me off, I went up to my room and flopped onto my bed. Better get to work on my plan for getting Mariah and Rei together.  
  
30 minutes later....  
  
Perfect, I thought. This plan would surely work. And if not, I had a Plan B, C & D. As I was thinking, a knock sounded at my door.  
  
"Akina, are you in there?" my dad asked, his voice slightly muffled through the door.  
  
"Yeah Dad" I responded and the door swung open to reveal my father.  
  
"I was wondering when you were going to get home" he said and sat down next to me on the bed. "Did you have fun at Hiwatari Kai's house?"  
  
"Yes Dad" I answered smiling.  
  
"He's a very nice and polite boy" he commented.  
  
"Yes, he is. Although he is a bit subdued at times" I replied carefully.  
  
"Well, one should expect that from somebody like him. But I am sure that he will open up to you with time" Dad said.  
  
"Right" I said in amusement.  
  
"Well, I should get going. My flight's leaving soon" my father said getting up.  
  
"You're leaving already?" I asked in dismay.  
  
"Can't be helped. Business calls." He said briskly.  
  
"Where are you going?" I questioned.  
  
"Shanghai. With Mr. Hiwatari." He answered.  
  
"Oh." I said flatly.  
  
"Don't worry. I'll only be gone for a week. I expect to be back by next weekend" he assured me. "I think we'll invite the Hiwataris over for dinner then. I'll see you next week"  
  
"Bye Dad. Have a safe flight" I said as he went out of the room.  
  
"Hey Rei" I said waving at him as I pulled up in the parking lot the next day at school.  
  
"Hey Crystal" Rei greeted me. Then he did a doubled back when he saw my car. "Whoa. Is that your car?" he asked in amazement.  
  
"Yeah" I answered, getting out of it.  
  
"You sure you didn't steal it?" he questioned suspiciously.  
  
"Rei! I can't believe you would say such a thing!" I scolded.  
  
"Yeah, well I never knew you were so rich" he commented. "May I?" he indicated towards my car.  
  
"Go ahead" I said sighing.  
  
While Rei examined my car, Kai pulled up in the lot next to mine.  
  
"Hey Kai-kun" I said waving.  
  
"Hey" he muttered.  
  
"Hey Kai, did you have any idea that Crystal was so rich?" Rei said still staring at my car in awe.  
  
"Yeah" he replied and strode towards the school.  
  
The last bell had rung for the day and it was time to put my plan into action.  
  
"Hey, you all want to come over to my house?" I asked Kai, Rei, Mariah and Tala. When they all agreed, Rei went with Kai in his car, Mariah came in mine and Tala drove his own car.  
  
"Crystal, why didn't you ever tell us you were so loaded?" Mariah whispered when we arrived at the gates leading up to my house.  
  
I shrugged in reply when the gates opened. Ignoring their looks of amazement on their faces, I led them all up to the house and into the lounge.  
  
"You guys want anything to eat or drink?" I offered.  
  
"Huh?" said Tala, snapping out of his daze.  
  
I sighed and got up to go to the kitchen and came back with glasses of coke and bowls of popcorn.  
  
"What, no caviar?" Rei said jokingly.  
  
"No. That stuff is really nasty." I answered. "Well what do you all want to do?"  
  
Nobody said anything.  
  
"Okay, you guys want to watch tv?" I suggested looking at them.  
  
"Yeah okay" Kai spoke up when nobody else said anything. I suppose he wasn't too fazed by all this since his house was pretty much the same.  
  
After half an hour of channel surfing, I decided to out my plan into action.  
  
"Let's play a game" I said.  
  
"Are you serious? We're in yr.12 Crystal" Kai relied flatly.  
  
"You didn't even bother to ask me what game Kai-kun" I responded.  
  
"What kind of game" Tala promptly asked.  
  
"Truth or dare" I said.  
  
Silence.  
  
"No offense or anything, but like Kai said, aren't we in yr.12?" Mariah finally asked.  
  
"Thank-you Mariah" Kai said.  
  
"No. It's fun, come on there's nothing better to do. I used to play all the time in Hong Kong" I insisted.  
  
Finally when they all agreed I began to outline the rules.  
  
"Okay, here are the rules. Once you choose, you can't change. The person who asks you gets to come up with the question or dare. But the other people are more than welcome to put forward the ideas. With the dares, they can't be life-or-death situations and nothing that will break the laws or anything. If a person refuses the a dare or truth, they have to suffer the consequence" I stated clearly.  
  
"Consequences?" Rei asked, clearly confused.  
  
"Yeah, consequences. The consequence is decided before the game starts so that if you turn down a question or dare, you will know what you're getting yourself into" I filled in. "Is that okay with everybody?"  
  
When nobody opposed me, I took that as a yes.  
  
"So, let's decide the consequence first" I said.  
  
"How about proposing to a teacher?" Tala suggested.  
  
"No" Kai said flatly.  
  
"Well how about egging somebody's house?" Rei said.  
  
"Too easy" I replied. "How about running naked down the street?"  
  
"Isn't that a bit too extreme?" Mariah spoke up hesitantly.  
  
"Well if it is then everybody will go through with their dare ne?" I replied with a wink.  
  
"Okay, so the consequence is running down the street naked?" Tala waited for confirmation and everybody slowly nodded their agreement. 


	13. Chapter 13: Truth or dare?

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 13: Truth or dare?  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"So who wants to start?" Crystal said brightly.  
  
"Why don't you since it was your idea" Tala said logically.  
  
"Okay then." she said and thought for a moment. I could practically see the wheels turning and whirring in her head. I wondered if she was going to put her 'plan' in motion now. She paused before turning to Tala.  
  
"Truth or dare Tala?" she asked him.  
  
"Truth" he responded.  
  
"Okay then" Crystal said. "Who did you have your first kiss with and when?"  
  
This was interesting. Whenever I asked Tala this question, he'd always brush me off. In all the years that I had known him, he never answered it.  
  
"It was with Jade, in grade.6 at the disco" he finally answered scowling.  
  
"Jade? Jade Thompson? You always said that you hated her!" Rei accused him.  
  
"Yeah, well there's a thin line between hate and love isn't there?" Tala retorted.  
  
"Let's just move on" I snapped getting impatient. Although it was interesting to know that Tala did like Jade, well at least enough to kiss her anyway.  
  
"Tala, it's your turn to ask somebody" Mariah said.  
  
"Okay, then. Rei, truth or dare?" Tala asked him.  
  
"Truth" he replied automatically.  
  
"What colour are your boxers?" Tala questioned.  
  
"What kind of question is that?" Rei responded.  
  
"Well, I can't think of anything else to ask. I know you pretty well" Tala said shrugging.  
  
"Fine. My boxers are blue," Rei finally said. "Now, Crystal, when you first came to our school, who did you think was hot?"  
  
"Kai-kun" Crystal answered lazily.  
  
Everybody turned to look at me.  
  
"What?" I said. "I can't help it if the ladies like me"  
  
"So modest huh Kai-kun?" Crystal said. Her eyes travelled around the room until they landed on Mariah. Poor Mariah. She probably didn't even know what was coming.  
  
"Kai, truth or dare?" she suddenly said and turned around to face me.  
  
What the hell? Wasn't she going to ask Mariah first?  
  
"Dare" I replied.  
  
"Just as I thought. I dare you to wax your legs" she said.  
  
"What?!?" I said in disbelief.  
  
"A dare is a dare Kai-kun" she reminded me smiling. "But if you want to back out...you know the consequences"  
  
"Fine." I snapped scowling. "Where's the wax?"  
  
"This should be very interesting" Tala commented and I glared at him.  
  
Fifteen minutes later the wax was ready.  
  
"You sure you're up to this Kai?" Mariah asked me.  
  
"I just want to get this over and done with" I said.  
  
"Hang on just a minute" Crystal said. "I want to get my camera"  
  
"Are you serious?" I said. Waxing my legs was bad enough but did she really have to document it?  
  
"Okay, on the count of 3" Crystal said after she had applied the strip to my leg. "1,2,3!"  
  
There was a loud rip sound as the strip came off leaving my leg hairless.  
  
"I can't believe this is happening" I muttered.  
  
"Rei, truth or dare?" I asked him after they had finished waxing my legs.  
  
"Umm, I think I'll go with dare this time" he said.  
  
Crystal shot me a look before scooting over next to me and whispering something else in my ear.  
  
"Okay, Rei, I dare you to go out with Mariah for two weeks" I said.  
  
"What?" Mariah yelped.  
  
"You both go out for two weeks and act like girlfriend or boyfriend. You may not date other people in this time" I said, reciting what Crystal previously told me. "Oh and if either of you breaks the rules or decided to back out, then you'll suffer the consequences"  
  
"Kai! This isn't fair," Mariah cried out.  
  
"I refuse to do this" Rei said scowling.  
  
"Well then, you know the consequences right?" Tala reminded him.  
  
Rei's face paled considerably. "Fine, I'll do it" he said darkly before sinking back into his seat.  
  
"Mariah?" I turned to her.  
  
"There's no way I'm going to run down this street naked" she simply said.  
  
"Excellent" Crystal said briskly. "The dare starts now by the way so you both better move to sit next to each other"  
  
"Rei, is this how you acted with your previous girlfriends? Put your arm around her" Tala said teasingly when he moved to sit next to Mariah.  
  
"Umm, I think we should stop the game now" Crystal suggested and everybody hastily agreed with her.  
  
"If you guys want a copy of Kai's waxing session, I'll burn one for you!" she called out when we were leaving.  
  
Okay, review and tell me what you think.. 


	14. Chapter 14: Just curious

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 14: Just curious  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I sighed inwardly as Crystal approached me in the parking lot before school the next day. What did she want now? I thought as she came up.  
  
"Hey Kai-kun" she said smiling at me, swinging her backpack onto her shoulders.  
  
"How can you be so cheerful in the morning?" I grumbled.  
  
"Breakfast. I had crepes with chocolate sauce and strawberries and a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows." She replied brightly, pushing the school's entrance doors open. "So, have you asked Rei yet?"  
  
"Ask Rei about what?" I said deliberately playing dumb.  
  
"Kai! I just reminded you the other day! Don't tell me you've forgotten already! You promised!" she cried out, catching the attention of several students standing nearby.  
  
"Shut up" I snapped. "I have not forgotten. You just assumed I did"  
  
"Oh" she said and went quiet for a moment. "Well then, will you pretty please ask him today?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah" I muttered when we reached our lockers.  
  
Later that day......  
  
"Have you done the English homework Kai?" Tala asked me after bell for lunch went.  
  
"Yeah" I replied and suddenly remembered the stupid promise I made to Crystal.  
  
"Hey Rei, how's it going with you and Mariah?" Tala asked nudging him.  
  
Thanks for the perfect opening Tala, I thought in my head and turned around to face Rei, waiting for his answer.  
  
"Well, ermmm...." Rei mumbled.  
  
"Out with it Rei" I prodded him.  
  
"It's okay" he replied.  
  
"What do you mean okay?" Tala asked before I could.  
  
"Don't you know the meaning of okay?" Rei retorted.  
  
Tala rolled his eyes at him in response.  
  
"Anyway, things between us are cool. We're just friends going through with a dare. It's as simple as that" Rei continued.  
  
I smirked. Was Rei clueless or what? Mariah had been head-over-heels in love with him since freaking yr.7. Only he was too dense not to notice that. If only he knew.....  
  
"So what do you think of Mariah?" I asked.  
  
"Huh?" Rei said looking confused.  
  
"I meant," I said with a sigh, "What do you think of her as a person in general?"  
  
"Oh" Rei replied understanding. "She's a cool girl. Nice, pretty, smart. Why do you ask?"  
  
"No particular reason." I responded. "Just curious"  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
"Kai-kun!" I called out across the corridor.  
  
"Can you not call me that?" he grumbled as he walked over, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.  
  
"Let's not go over this again Kai-kun" I replied. "So, have you asked Rei?"  
  
"Yeah" he responded and shoved his books into his locker after I had opened it.  
  
"And?" I questioned raising an eyebrow.  
  
"He said that things between them were cool, that they're just friends going a dare." He answered promptly.  
  
"Is that all?" I said disappointed.  
  
"No" he said. "Rei also said that Mariah was nice, pretty and smart when I asked him what he thought of her in general"  
  
"Really?" I said thoughtfully. "I'll need to find out what Mariah thinks of Rei then. Although I get the general idea that she's in love with him, I need some specifics."  
  
"Crystal? What exactly do you plan on doing with this information?" Kai asked suspiciously.  
  
"Get Rei and Mariah together of course! Didn't I tell you before? Don't you think they would make a great couple?" I suggested.  
  
"Right." Kai muttered.  
  
"I'm so glad that you agree Kai-kun" I said lightly and skipped towards the exit. "Well, are you walking me to the car park or not?"  
  
Thanks to those who reviewed. Sorry about the short chapter. I'm still figuring about what Crystal and Kai should do to get Rei and Mariah together. Tell me if you got any ideas at all. I plan on having something interesting coming up. Don't forget to review. Bubaiz for now! *waves* 


	15. Chpaet 15: Akina's song

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 15: Akina's song  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Thank god it's the weekend, I thought as I lazily wove my way through the late Friday afternoon traffic. Crystal had come up with a dozen different plans about how to get Rei and Mariah together.  
  
Flashback  
  
"What do you want now?" I said instantly becoming annoyed when Crystal poked her head around the door of my locker.  
  
"Hello to you too Kai-kun" she shot back and stuck her tongue out at me. "I came up with the perfect plan to get Rei and Mariah together"  
  
"Oh really?" I replied shutting my locker.  
  
"Yep. We'll lock them up together in a room until they confess their undying love for each other" she said, her eyes glazing over apparently imagining the scene.  
  
"Err, one problem with that," I remarked, "That never works"  
  
"What?" Crystal responded, her eyes becoming unglazed once more. "Why not?"  
  
"It just doesn't" I answered.  
  
"But it always works on t.v" she insisted.  
  
"Yeah, but in case you've forgotten Crystal, we live in the real world. That kind of stuff just doesn't work in reality" I reminded her. "You watch too much t.v"  
  
"I do not!" she protested.  
  
End of flashback  
  
Crystal had come up with lots of other ideas most of which were outrageous and unrealistic. I smirked at the memory and pulled into my garage.  
  
I was halfway up the stairs when my mother called out to me.  
  
"Kai? Is that you?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah," I responded, pausing on the landing between the floors.  
  
"Your father's back," she stated.  
  
"Already?" I asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yes. Dinner will be served in and hour so clean up." She said before disappearing down the hallway.  
  
I scowled as I entered my room. My father probably had some important business to deal with back in Tokyo which was probably why he was back so soon. Normally he would be away for a few weeks.  
  
"How is school?" my father asked as he always did at dinner.  
  
"Fine" I answered stiffly.  
  
"You still have classes with Hiragazaki Akina?" he questioned.  
  
"Yes" I replied flatly hoping that dinner will be over soon.  
  
"You get on well with her?" he asked.  
  
"Yes" I responded in a monotone.  
  
"Good because we will be going to Mr. Hiragazaki's house for dinner tomorrow night" he informed me briskly.  
  
Great, I thought as I started at my plate.  
  
The next day.......  
  
The scenery flashed past the car window until it slowed to a stop in front of the Hiragazaki mansion.  
  
"Welcome, welcome" Mr. Hiragazaki greeted warmly when the chauffeur opened the door and we stepped out.  
  
"I hope that you like crab for dinner" he commented as he led us through the entrance.  
  
"We love crab" my father replied automatically.  
  
"I'm sorry that my daughter could not be here with me to greet you. I believe she is upstairs doing work" Mr. Hiragazaki apologized.  
  
"It is fine. It is good to see that she is committed to her studies" my father responded smoothly.  
  
"Kai, why don't you go up to find her? I'm sure she won't mind" Mr. Hiragazaki suggested.  
  
I nodded and proceeded up the stairs and came to a fork in the corridor. Left or right? I wondered knowing I could get easily lost if Akina's house was as large as mine. Just when I had decided to go left, a woman dressed in a maid's uniform appeared.  
  
"May I help you?" she asked politely when she saw me.  
  
"Yes, could you tell me where Akina is?" I requested.  
  
"Hiragazaki-sama in the studio which is down this corridor," she gestured to the one on the right, "go down until you've reached the end and it'll be the second last door on the left"  
  
"Thank-you" I said.  
  
As I neared the end of the corridor, I could distantly hear the soft tinkling of a piano. Slowing down, I stopped at the second last door on the left with my hand on the door knob. Before when I was coming down the corridor, I thought that I had heard a faint humming but had dismissed it as something else. But now, standing outside the door, I was sure that the humming was coming from in here and it was in tune with the piano accompaniment. Gently pushing the door open, I peered into the room to see a black grand piano standing in the centre of the room with Akina perched on the seat playing it as well as softly humming along.  
  
Now that I was closer, I didn't have to strain to make out the words which turned out to be Japanese. I stood still in the doorway, listening to Akina sing...  
  
Saigo no kisu wa (The last kiss) Tabako no flavor ga shita (Tasted like tobacco) Nigakute setsunai kaori (A bitter and sad smell)  
  
Ashita no imagoro ni wa (Tomorrow at this time,) Anata wa doko ni iru n' darou (Where will you be?) Dare wo omotte 'ru n' darou (Who will you be thinking about?  
  
You are always gonna be my love Itsu ka dare ka to mata koi ni ochite mo (Even if I fall in love with someone else again) I'll remember to love You taught me how You are always gonna be the one Ima wa mada kanashii love song (It's still a sad song) Atarashii uta utaeru made (Until I can sing a new song)  
  
Tachidomaru jikan ga (The paused time is Ugoki-dasou to shite 'ru (About to start moving) Wasuretaku nai koto bakari (There's many things that I don't want to forget about)  
  
Ashita no imagoro ni wa (tomorrow, at this time) Watashi wa kitto naite 'ru (I will probably be crying) Anata wo omotte 'ru n' darou (I will probably be thinking about you)  
  
You will always be inside my heart Itsu mo anata dake no basho ga aru kara (You will always have your own place) I hope that I have a place in your heart too Now and forever you are still the one Ima wa mada kanashii love song (It's still a sad song) Atarashii uta utaeru made (Until I can sing a new song)  
  
You are always gonna be my love Itsu ka dare ka to mata koi ni ochite mo (Even if I fall in love with someone once again) I'll remember to love You taught me how You are always gonna be the one Mada kanashii love song (It' still a sad song until I can sing a new song) Now and forever...  
  
After Akina had finished playing, she lifted her hands up from the piano, folding them neatly in her lap while I just stood there trying to figure out where I had heard that song before.  
  
"Kai-kun?" she said looking up from the piano after a few moments.  
  
"Huh?" I said still lost in thought.  
  
"Did you-" she began hesitantly, "Did you just hear that?"  
  
I paused for a moment, wondering how to answer her question. She had obviously not intended for me to hear to sing since she had lowered her gaze when I glanced at her. But I knew I couldn't lie.  
  
"Yeah" I said carefully.  
  
"Oh" she said quietly and suddenly became fascinated in looking at her hands.  
  
"You're really good" I said after an awkward minute.  
  
"No I'm not" she replied softly and closed the lid of the piano. "So did you just get here?" she asked when she stood up, suddenly back to her cheerful self.  
  
"Uh, yeah. Just arrived a few minutes ago" I answered.  
  
"Want me to show you around?" she asked over her shoulder as she walked out of the room.  
  
"Sure" I agreed and followed her out of the room, my mind still lingering on her song.  
  
Okay, so what'd you think? The song Akina sang is called First Love by Utada Hikaru. It's really really pretty and sweet. Please review okay? 


	16. Chapter 16: Blow by blow

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 16: Blow by blow  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
After giving Kai a brief tour around the house and a quick glance at the gardens, we were informed by a maid that dinner was to be served in 10mins.  
  
"I was wondering where you two had gone" dad said from the head of the table when we entered the dining room.  
  
"I was giving Kai a tour of the house and grounds" I replied as I sat to the right of him while Kai sat next to me with his mother opposite him and his father to the left of mine.  
  
"How are you Mrs. Hiwatari?" I asked turning to her when my dad and Kai's began talking to each other.  
  
"Fine, but I do recall telling you to call me Katrina" she said smiling.  
  
"Sorry" I apologized sheepishly.  
  
"It's okay." She said assured me. "But what I want to know is whether Kai is being nice to you"  
  
"Yes, he is being quite nice to me" I said laughing.  
  
"That's a relief to know. In the past he's been known to be quite err, cold towards other people" she commented.  
  
"I think he can hear us" I said, mock-whispering while glancing at Kai who glared back at me.  
  
"Do you like crab Kai?" I asked smiling at him.  
  
"It's okay" he replied while looking at his mum who was obviously trying not to laugh.  
  
"All right there mum?" he asked smirking.  
  
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" she replied.  
  
The entrée then arrived; it was some kind of soup. I long ago learnt that it was better not to ask what was in it. Spooning it up, I turned to Kai and smiled.  
  
"Remind me to show you something later" I said.  
  
"What do you want to show me?" he asked curiously after drinking a spoonful of the soup.  
  
"If I tell you then it won't be a surprise" I replied teasingly.  
  
"Is it another plan to get Rei and Mariah together? Because if it is I highly doubt it would work since you get most of your ideas from the t.v" he said.  
  
"No it isn't another plan to get Rei and Mariah together." I responded. "And I do not get all my ideas from t.v. Anyway, I think that you'll like what I'm going to show you"  
  
"We'll see about that" he said before retuning to his soup.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I watched as my mum and Akina talked animatedly throughout the majority of the dinner. Of course, they regularly included me in their conversations but I gave them simple answers since I preferred to sink into my own thoughts. The song that Akina had been singing and playing before was still stuck in my head, playing and replaying in an endless loop. It was a nice song but I didn't want it stuck in my head for the remainder of the night. The thing was that I was now certain that I had heard it somewhere before. But where? I wondered.  
  
Before I knew it, the dessert, some kind of cake with a scoop of ice-cream, had come and gone and Akina was tugging gently at my hand. I stood up, allowing her to slip her hand into mine.  
  
"Dad, I'm going to show Kai around some more" she said before leading me out of the dinning room and up the stairs.  
  
We went down the same corridor leading to the studio but instead, stopped at the last door on the left.  
  
"Ready?" Akina asked me as she pushed the door open.  
  
The door opened to reveal a room with mirrored walls, creating the illusion that it was bigger than it actually was. Smooth timber floorboards were underneath my feet but the majority of the room was empty with the exception of a kicking bag and large cabinet in a corner.  
  
Huh? I thought. Why had she wanted me to see this so much? I scanned the room for anything of interest and my eyes caught something glinting on the opposite wall. Since the lights on that side weren't on, I had missed it at the start, but now since my eyes had adjusted to the lighting, there was no mistaking what lay on the opposite wall.  
  
Weapons.  
  
The opposite wall was lined with them, each once hanging off a hook or specially created stand nailed into the wall. I gazed at them in amazement. There was a large variety of weapons, ranging from long swords to short daggers, spears, axes and poles as well as a dozen different weapons which I had either seen before but did not know the names and there were many others which I had never in my life seen before.  
  
"Pretty good huh?" Akina said lightly.  
  
I could only dumbly nod in agreement.  
  
"Go ahead and take a closer look if you want" she offered casually as she crossed the room.  
  
I followed her silently, still staring in awe at the magnificent weapons before me.  
  
"Well are you just going to stand there? Unlike you, I let people touch my stuff" she commented and gestured towards the wall.  
  
I approached the wall and studied the swords carefully. Finally deciding upon a silver one with blue sapphires set into the handle, I cautiously lifted it up. It was surprisingly heavy.  
  
"Heavier than you're used to?" Akina questioned lightly and I guessed that my surprise had shown on my face.  
  
"Not really" I added and hefted it up.  
  
"Try this one" she said and thrust a silver pink-stoned sword into my hands causing me to nearly drop my sword.  
  
"Hey, don't just shove sharp things at me. If I had dropped my sword, it would've sliced my foot" I protested.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous. You wouldn't have dropped it." She scoffed. "So is it heavier or what?"  
  
"Yeah" I said weighing up the swords in my hands.  
  
"Well then, what do you say to a little spar?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes as she pried her sword from my hands.  
  
"Firstly, I don't spar with girls" I responded flatly and glanced at her clothes. She was wearing tight dark blue jeans which flared to cover her feet with a baby blue singlet top while her midnight black hair spilled over her shoulders as usual. "And even if I did, do you really think you can spar with what you have on?"  
  
"Aww, Kai-kun. I want to! Come on, it'll be fun. I'll go easy on you" she persuaded me teasingly. "Anyway, what I'm wearing is fine. It's quite comfortable actually"  
  
"Sorry, I just can't" I said.  
  
"Fine then" she said and turned to place to sword back but then swung around at me surprisingly fast and I had to duck her sword.  
  
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" I said as I stepped away.  
  
"What do you think?" she said as she stepped back into fighting stance.  
  
"That you're attacking me?" I responded slightly confused.  
  
"Exactly. If you won't spar voluntarily with me then I'll just have to attack you and you won't have a choice but to defend yourself" she said as she stepped towards me.  
  
"Akina! Stop it" I snapped as I blocked her sword with mine. "This is ridiculous"  
  
"No it's not." She replied calmly as her sword clashed against mine.  
  
"I don't want to hurt you" I stated as I ducked a glancing blow from her sword.  
  
"You won't" she said confidently. "I'm too good. You'll never catch up with me"  
  
The instant those words left her mouth, she turned up the intensity of her attack and I was forced to match her blows with my sword. The constant clangs of our swords clashing rang in my ears and for the first time in a while, I had to focus on my defense. She continued her assault on me and there were a few times where she nearly managed to catch me off guard.  
  
"Come on Kai-kun" she coaxed me as she paused her attack for a moment. "I know you can do way better than that"  
  
"How do you know what I can do and what I can't?" I snapped losing my impatience. "You don't even know me"  
  
"Aww Kai-kun" she said pouting, "That isn't very nice"  
  
"Well I don't care since I know that I'm not very nice" I retorted and walked back to the wall to replace my sword. "I don't want to fight you Akina"  
  
"Well technically you're not. You're defending yourself against me" she pointed out before reluctantly replacing her sword as well.  
  
"It' still the same thing" I replied flatly before walking out of the room.  
  
Okay, that's it for now. Thanks to all those who review, keep reviewing please. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. 


	17. Chapter 17: Stuffed toy fortress

Two hearts, once love  
  
Chapter 17: Stuffed toy fortress  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Akina followed me out of the room and shut the door behind her.  
  
"So what do we do now?" I asked, shoving my hands inside my pockets.  
  
"I don't know" she replied shrugging. "Hang on, I want to fetch something from my room"  
  
She crossed the wide hallway to the last door on the right and tugged it open.  
  
"Coming?" she asked as she turned to look back at me.  
  
"No, I think I'll just wait here" I replied and leaned against the cream colored wall.  
  
"Don't be stupid" she remarked, rolling her eyes. "I could take a while in here. Anyway, I saw your room, aren't you curious about what my room is like?"  
  
"Not particularly. Unlike you, I don't feel the need to know what other people's lives are like" I responded.  
  
"Don't be such a snob" she teased.  
  
"I am not a snob. Have you-" I never finished my sentence because Akina had decided to suddenly pull me into her room and since I wasn't expecting it, I was pulled right in.  
  
"Hey" I protested when we entered the dark room.  
  
"Yes Kai-kun?" a voice to my right said innocently.  
  
The next moment, the light flickered on, bathing the room in a soft white light.  
  
I looked around the room, taking everything in with a swift glance. The walls were baby blue and her bed, which was covered in baby pink covers, stood to one side. A white side table stood next to it and the wall facing opposite us housed a large shelf. The shelf held a few books, but was mostly occupied by hundreds of stuffed toys. It was like a freaking stuffed toy fortress. There were rabbits, ducks, pandas, dogs, cats, horses, monkeys, apes, tigers, lions, elephants and bears of every different color, size and shape. She could've opened a toy shop with all of these I thought in amazement. Anyway, moving on, there were various photo frames on her shelf as well as hanging from the walls.  
  
"So?" she asked as she flopped onto her bed. "What do you think?"  
  
"It's okay, I suppose" I replied shrugging.  
  
"Just okay?" she said pouting.  
  
"What else do you expect me to say?" I said scowling.  
  
"I don't know" she responded and picked up a stuffed lavender bear from her bed. "Kai-kun, meet Lavender. Lavender, meet Kai-kun"  
  
"Lavender? How appropriate" I said dryly.  
  
"Don't tell me that. I didn't name it" she said replacing it on her bed before picking up a snow white bear with brown glass eyes. "This is Fuzzi- wuzzi" she said and held out to me.  
  
I grudgingly took it from her hands. Now what? I thought as I looked down at it.  
  
"Did you name this one?" I asked her after thinking for a second.  
  
"Yeah. It's my favorite. I've had it since I was a child, my mother gave it to me" she said softly.  
  
I didn't quite know how to answer to that so I decided that silence would be best.  
  
"I almost forgot" she said breaking the silence. "I came in here to get something"  
  
She got up from the bed and walked over to her walk-in-robe and after a few moments, came back in with a dark blue bag.  
  
"Here" she said, offering it to me.  
  
"What is it?" I asked suspiciously.  
  
"It's your clothes that I borrowed from you last time" she said.  
  
"Thanks" I said and accepted the bag.  
  
"Okay, what do you want to do now?" she asked me.  
  
"I don't know. What is there to do at your house?" I answered.  
  
"Do you play pool?" she questioned thoughtfully.  
  
"Yeah" I responded.  
  
"Great! Come on then" she said and grabbed my hand again.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
After leading Kai downstairs and through the corridors, we came to the central wing of the house and stopped in front the double oak sliding doors. I slid one section open and flicked the light on to illuminate the pool table in the centre of the spacious room. I didn't bother turning on any of the other lights since we probably won't sit on the leather couches in the corner or have anything from the bar.  
  
I walked across the room to the cue stick rack and chose the one I usually used. I glanced over at Kai to see him inspecting the cue sticks. I opened up the cupboard next to the cue stick rack and took out the pool balls and set them up. When I had finished, I turned to see Kai standing behind me waiting patiently.  
  
"You can break" I said.  
  
"Nah, ladies first" he said mockingly.  
  
"Do you always have to be like that?" I said sighing and with a flick of my wrist, the cue stick struck the cue ball causing it to scatter the other balls.  
  
As Kai lined up to take his shot, I figured that he must have a pool table at home if I did. Therefore he should be an interesting opponent.  
  
The game continued and we ended up tying.  
  
"Akina? Where are you?" my father's voice called out through the intercom when we had begun the second game.  
  
Straightening up from my shot, I crossed the room and pushed the intercom button.  
  
"Kai and I are playing pool" I responded and gestured for Kai to take his shot.  
  
"The Hiwataris will be leaving shortly" he informed me. "Could you meet us in the entrance way?"  
  
"Yeah, okay Dad" I said. "Time to go Kai-kun"  
  
We replaced our cue sticks and continued down to the entrance way.  
  
"Akina, before I forget, here's your dress" Katrina said and handed me a black bag.  
  
"Thanks, you really shouldn't have" I replied.  
  
"It's no trouble at all" she said smiling warmly at me.  
  
"Well, it'll be best if we be off now. Thank-you for a wonderful dinner Li" Mr. Hiwatari said before exiting with Katrina beside him and Kai behind them.  
  
"Bye Kai-kun" I said waving at him.  
  
Casting his glance at his father, he waved back before stepping into limousine.  
  
*Sigh* Personally, I thought that this chapter was a little dull. Anyway, review and tell me what you think. The Mariah and Rei thingy will be coming up in the next chapter okay? 


	18. Chapter 18: The plan

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 18: The plan  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Hey Kai-kun" Crystal said as she came bouncing up to me.  
  
"Hey" I muttered me digging through my locker for my maths book.  
  
"Whoa, how'd you get your locker opened?" she asked confused.  
  
"I opened it myself" I snapped in reply as I pulled out my maths book from underneath my science stuff.  
  
"No, seriously. How'd you get it open?" she asked once again obviously not believing me.  
  
"It is so hard to believe that I can open my own locker" I responded scowling.  
  
"Oh. You're not joking." Crystal said understanding. "Well, good for you then Kai-kun" she said and gave me a pat on my back.  
  
Is that girl annoying or what? I thought as I walked down the hallway towards homeroom.  
  
"Kai-kun! Wait for me!" she called out and suddenly appeared on my right. "Guess what?" she said excitedly.  
  
"Do I have to?" I muttered.  
  
"Yes" she insisted and tugged at my sleeve. "Well go on, guess"  
  
"You're moving?" I guessed hopefully.  
  
"No, try again" she said giggling, obviously not noticing my hopeful tone.  
  
"You've got another plan to get Rei and Mariah together?" I asked after thinking for a moment.  
  
"Yes. Good guess" she answered. "How'd you know?"  
  
I didn't even bother answering that one.  
  
"So?" she said skipping slightly.  
  
"So what?" I replied.  
  
"Don't you want to know what it is?" she questioned.  
  
"Not particularly" I said.  
  
"But you're involved" she said.  
  
"What?" I asked skidding to a halt in front of our homeroom door.  
  
"Yeah, I need your help for this to work" she remarked casually.  
  
"Well, I want no part in your so called plan" I snapped scowling.  
  
"But you have to Kai-kun!" she pleaded. "Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"  
  
"No," I said stubbornly, crossing my arms.  
  
"Kai-kun!" she wailed.  
  
"Be quiet!" I grumbled.  
  
"Please, please, please help me out? I'll be eternally grateful" she suggested.  
  
"Make me" I responded and went inside the classroom.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
Although I knew it would lower my pride greatly, I followed Kai around all day, constantly asking him to help me with the Rei and Mariah situation. But yet, no matter how many times I asked, he'd say no.  
  
I sighed and leaned against my locker. How could I persuade him to get him to help me? I wondered. Bribe him? But with what? It wasn't like he didn't have practically everything already. Perhaps I could blackmail him? He seemed like the kind of person who would have a lot of secrets, or no secrets at all. But blackmailing him might take too long. I needed to put this plan into action now. I suppose I could get down on my knees and beg him, but that would be an even more serious blow to my pride. No, begging him would be a last resort.  
  
So what else was there? I thought. There was always threatening, but I always avoided that since it normally caused trouble.  
  
I punched a locker with frustration. Oops, shouldn't have done that I realized too late. There was now a neat little dent where my fist had been. Well at least it wasn't my locker. I examined my fist. Besides from looking a little bit red, there wasn't any damage. Might have a bruise in a while but that wasn't anything I wasn't familiar with.  
  
Where was Kai anyway? The bell signaling the end of school had already rang a few minutes ago, he should be coming back to his locker any time now. Or perhaps he wasn't coming back since he knew I would be waiting for him? Better go wait at his car, I decided.  
  
A light breeze drifted past and gently lifted my hair up when I walked through the car park searching for Kai's car. He better not have already left. When I spotted his black convertible in its usual spot, I seated myself on the bonnet, prepared to wait for as long as possible.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I had hesitated before stopping at my locker after school. Knowing Crystal, she'd probably be there waiting for me. I peeked around the corner. Yep. Just as I had thought. Better head to the library to do return a book before coming back. Hopefully she'd be gone by then I thought as I walked away.  
  
After going to the library, I returned to my locker to find that she was no longer around. Good, I thought with satisfaction as I stuffed my books into my locker, which by the way, took only 10 minutes to open.  
  
Checking my watch, I headed out to the car park and towards my car. I'll be able to get some homework done before dinner I thought absent-mindedly.  
  
Oh crap.  
  
Just as I thought I had escaped her, there she was, the light breeze whipping around her as she perched contentedly on the front of my car, with a book in her hand and her eyes darting across the page. Just when I was about to turn away, her eyes flickered up as though sensing my presence.  
  
"Kai-kun" she said, hopping up and replacing the book inside her bag.  
  
"Don't even ask me" I snapped irritably as I went around to the driver's seat.  
  
"But Kai-kun!" she wailed as she swiftly moved to block the door.  
  
"Get out of my way" I stated coldly.  
  
"Make me" she said as she covered the door handle with her hand.  
  
Without a word, I reached around her and pulled at her hand.  
  
"Not so rough" she said wincing slightly, switching hands.  
  
Weird, I had barely touched her I thought confused. If she had the will to withstand all her training, why had she winced in pain when I barely touched her? I glanced at her hand, and a pinkish-red area on it caught me eye.  
  
"What happened to your hand?" I asked harshly.  
  
"Nothing" she replied and tucked it behind her back.  
  
"Let me see" I said impatiently.  
  
"No. It's fine" she insisted.  
  
"No, it's not" I said when I snatched it up quickly from behind her back. "What happened?"  
  
"I already told you, nothing" she snapped, her eyes darkening and her emerald specks dominating over the now dark blue.  
  
Weird how the roles had changed. Now she was the annoyed one.  
  
"Don't lie to me Crystal" I said, inspecting the sore skin carefully.  
  
"Fine. You really want to know? I just punched a locker a little too hard, that's all" she finally answered.  
  
"What the hell were you thinking, punching a locker?" I said as I allowed her hand to drop back to her side.  
  
"I was frustrated okay? Now I think I'll be leaving" she said coldly.  
  
"Why?" I called out after her.  
  
"Why? Because a certain somebody was being an ass since he wouldn't help me out with one tiny favor" she replied, pausing.  
  
"Yes" I said simply to her back.  
  
"Yes what?" she snapped whirling around to face me again.  
  
"Yes, I'll help you out" I said, sighing in defeat.  
  
"Really?" she asked her face lighting up and her eyes returning to their usual baby blue with emerald flecks.  
  
"Yes, really" I repeated, shaking my head. "But you do plan on telling me your idea, right?"  
  
"Of course!" she said. "Okay, it's all quite simple really. All we do is ask Rei and Mariah if they want to come out to the movies with us. Then we simply don't show up. Well we will kinda but they won't see us. We'll follow them and see their reactions"  
  
"Well at least it's better than locking them up in a room together" I merely replied.  
  
"Good, we'll ask them tomorrow yeah?" she said happily.  
  
I shook my head, what had I gotten myself into?  
  
So, don't forget to review okay? Thanks to those who previously reviewed, keep them coming please. I'm trying to get at least a minimum of five reviews per chapter before I update. 


	19. Chapter 19: Stalking isn't exactly my st...

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 19: Stalking isn't exactly my style  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"Hey are you guys free tomorrow night?" I asked Rei and Mariah the next day during homeroom.  
  
"I think so" Mariah responded.  
  
"What about you Rei?" I questioned him.  
  
"Yeah, I'm free. Why?" he replied.  
  
"I was thinking that we could all go and watch a movie" I answered.  
  
"Who's coming?" Mariah said lazily.  
  
"You, Rei, Kai and me. Tala has to go out tonight" I said remembering what Tala had said before school that day.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Hey Tala" I greeted him in the hallway.  
  
"Hey Crystal" he replied.  
  
"So are you free tonight?" I asked him.  
  
"No, I have to go out" he answered. "Why?"  
  
"Oh. It's just that I came up with a really great plan to get Mariah and Rei together." I said.  
  
"Really? I assume they don't know about your plan?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"No" I said.  
  
"Crystal, you do know that you can't manipulate people into feeling stuff they don't" Tala said sternly.  
  
"I am not manipulating them!" I protested.  
  
"Perhaps not, but still, how do you think they would feel if they knew what you had planned?" he said in reply.  
  
"That's not the point" I said irritably. "Anyway, you don't even know what my plan is"  
  
"Then please, go ahead and enlighten me by all means" he replied.  
  
"All I plan on doing is telling them that we're going to a movie and just don't turn up. Then we can follow them and see their reactions" I retorted. "I just thought that you might like to come along. Anyway, I'm not manipulating them. I'm just giving them a little push and encouragement."  
  
"Well, I sincerely hope that it works then. As long as you're not manipulating them whatever you do is fine by me" Tala replied.  
  
"Thank-you for your blessings father" I said sticking my tongue out at him.  
  
End of flashback  
  
"So we'll meet at the front of the cinemas at 8 then?" Rei asked, interrupting my thoughts.  
  
"Why don't we go to eat first?" I suggested.  
  
"Okay. Where do you guys want to go eat?" Mariah said.  
  
"I want to go to the new Chinese restaurant" Kai interrupted as he slid into the seat next to us.  
  
"Fine" Rei agreed. "We'll meet there around, 6 then?"  
  
When everybody nodded their agreement, I leaned back and grinned. Perfect.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"I can't believe I let you drag me into this" I hissed.  
  
"Well I certainly can." Crystal retorted and glanced out from behind the fountain.  
  
I rolled my eyes. Here I was, spending a Friday night, freaking stalking Rei and Mariah with Crystal. We were situated behind the fountain which was located in front of the restaurant, watching Rei and Mariah wait for us to arrive. This was pathetic.  
  
"Okay, I think we should call them now" Crystal said and pulled out her phone.  
  
I could hear Rei's phone ringing and I saw him pick it up.  
  
"Hey Rei, its Crystal" she spoke into her phone. "Sorry, but Kai and I won't be able to make it tonight"  
  
"I convinced Kai to pick me up and then when we were on our way, his stupid car broke down. I told him before that it was a dodgy car and that we should've taken mine since it was better" she replied after a moment.  
  
"No, it's okay. You and Mariah can go ahead without us." Crystal replied.  
  
"It's fine really" she said after Rei said something.  
  
"Oh, don't forget that I already made a reservation. It's under my name" she reminded Rei.  
  
"Okay, have fun. Bye" she said before laughing and hanging up.  
  
"Think this is really funny, don't you?" I said scowling.  
  
"Huh?" she said when she had finished laughing. "Oh, it was just something that Rei said"  
  
"Whatever" I replied rolling my eyes.  
  
"Look, they're going in" she said tugging at my arm.  
  
"Do you always have to do that?" I snapped.  
  
"Do what?" she asked confused.  
  
"Tug at my arm when we're talking" I answered pulling it out of her grasp.  
  
"Sorry" she apologized sheepishly. "Just a habit I guess. Do you want to go in?"  
  
"Won't they see us if we do?" I said.  
  
"No they won't. I already made sure of that. I reserved a table which is on one side of the fish tank for them under my name. Then I reserved another table on the other side for us under your name" she said smugly and led the way to the restaurant's entrance.  
  
"Do you have a reservation?" the waiter asked when we entered.  
  
"Yes. It's under Hiwatari Kai" Crystal answered.  
  
"Hiwatari Kai" the waiter said and flicked through the large leather-bound book. "Ah yes. Table for two?" he asked, waiting for confirmation, his finger pausing at an entry  
  
"Yes" I confirmed and he led us to a table on the side of a fish tank.  
  
"I'll be back in a minute to take your orders" the waiter said and handed us menus.  
  
"Look, there they are" I said to Kai, peering through the fish tank to see Rei and Mariah.  
  
"Well, if you can see them, won't they be able to see us too?" Kai said in a bored tone as he read the menu.  
  
"Well, not really. There's a lot of plants and fishes in the way so unless they're looking for us particularly, they shouldn't be able to see us since our image is distorted by the water." I replied as I leaned back in the chair and reached for a menu.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Throughout the meal, Crystal constantly kept checking on Rei and Mariah through the fish tank. She'd report whatever she saw back to me. Like I really cared whether Rei and Mariah got together or not.  
  
"I can't believe nothing happened" Crystal complained as we exited the restaurant after Rei and Mariah. "All they talked about was school-related stuff"  
  
"Does that mean I can go home now?" I asked.  
  
"No, not yet. Still got the movies you know. Something interesting should happen there" she remarked as we walked into the cinemas.  
  
"What movie are they watching? If it's a chick flick I refuse to go in" I commented when we lined up for tickets.  
  
"I think they're going to watch Finding Nemo" Crystal replied.  
  
"Are you serious? That's like a show for primary school kids" I said in disbelief.  
  
"No it's not. Anyway, I want to watch it" Crystal said stubbornly as she accepted the tickets from the person at the counter.  
  
"This plan better work or else all this crap is for nothing" I grumbled as we trailed after Rei and Mariah to the snack bar.  
  
"Of course it'll work. I planned it didn't I?" she said lightly before pulling me into the lollies area.  
  
"Why are we in here for?" I muttered when I nearly collided with a tower of gummi bears.  
  
"Because they were about to see us" Crystal responded. "Anyway, I want lollies"  
  
From where we were standing, we could clearly hear Rei and Mariah's voices.  
  
"What do you want?" Rei asked Mariah.  
  
"I don't know. Popcorn I suppose?" she said in reply.  
  
"Okay. One large popcorn please and tow medium cokes" Rei ordered from the snack bar guy.  
  
"That'll be $10" the man said and Rei handed him a note.  
  
"Here Rei" Mariah said and attempted to hand him some coins.  
  
"You keep it Mariah" Rei said refusing and gently pushed her hand away.  
  
"But Rei-" she protested.  
  
"It's okay, don't worry about it" he insisted before taking her hand and leading a blushing Mariah to the cinemas.  
  
"Oh my god!" Crystal squealed. "Did you see that? It was so cute!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Stop bouncing around and let's go in" I snapped when she began to jump up and down.  
  
"But Kai-kun! I want lollies and popcorn" she replied.  
  
"Well, Rei and Mariah are going in. If we don't follow them in now, we'll lose them." I stated. "So it's either lollies and popcorn or Rei and Mariah"  
  
"Oh" Crystal said and bit her lip in thought. "Well, how about you follow them in and I'll stay to get food?"  
  
"Just how do you think you'll find me when I go into the cinemas? In case you've forgotten, it's kinda dark in there" I retorted.  
  
"It won't be dark yet, there'll still be come light. If I can't find you just call out my name" she suggested.  
  
"You want me to call out your name? In case you've forgotten, we're not supposed to be here" I reminded her sarcastically.  
  
"Oh yeah. Well then call out Akina" Crystal said. "Now go quickly" and she pushed me towards the cinema gently.  
  
When I was halfway to the cinema I raced back to Crystal.  
  
"I'll be needing my ticket" I said flatly.  
  
Pretty long chapter huh? Well, please please please review, okay? Thanks for all the other reviews. Also, somebody said that the summary for this fic could be more interesting but I'm not really that good at writing summaries. So if you can think of another summary could you please tell me? Thanks. 


	20. Chapter 20: Mission accomplished

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 20: Mission accomplished  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
After Kai raced back for his ticket and I gave it to him, I turned to face the wall of lollies. What kind of lollies should I get? I mused as I walked along. I finally decided on a jumbo mix of gummi bears, snakes and starbursts. Picking up a container, I walked to the counter to pay. A flash of pink caught my eye. Fairy floss. Have to get some I thought and grabbed a bag. Better get popcorn and drinks too a voice in my head reminded me. After paying for the food, I had headed towards the cinemas, the food balanced cautiously in my arms. Maybe I should've let Kai get the food. After all, his arms are longer meaning that he could carry more food. I giggled at the thought of Kai with his arms loaded with fairy floss and lollies.  
  
Upon entering the nearly dark cinema, I scanned it for a Kai and spotted a flash of two-toned blue hair. I made my way towards him; at least he was sitting on the side.  
  
"Got enough food there?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah I think so" I retorted as I sat myself down and passed him the popcorn.  
  
'You better not go on a sugar high after this" he snapped.  
  
"Quiet. It's starting" I told him as the lights dimmed. "Where are Rei and Mariah anyway?"  
  
"They're two rows below" Kai replied.  
  
"Oh my god, that was so cute!" I said to Kai who merely shrugged as we exited the cinema. "Look there's Rei and Mariah" I said pointing to them and pulled Kai behind a potted plant.  
  
"Careful" he muttered as he straightened up.  
  
"Shhhh, they're right in front of us" I warned him.  
  
"So, what'd you think of the movie?" Rei asked.  
  
"It was really cool" Mariah responded. "Well, I'll see you later then"  
  
"See ya" Rei said and Mariah turned to leave. "Mariah?" he suddenly said and she turned around once again to face him.  
  
"Yes Rei?" she answered.  
  
Rei leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek.  
  
"I had a great time tonight Mariah" he said quietly before leaving a flushed Mariah behind.  
  
After Rei left, Mariah stood there for a few minutes before breaking out in a big smile and leaving.  
  
"Am I a genius or what?" I said to Kai triumphantly.  
  
"Why did she just stand there like that?" he questioned.  
  
"She was probably just in shock" I replied dismissively.  
  
"Well I hope you're happy. I'd like to go home now, stalking Rei and Mariah on a Friday night isn't exactly my idea of fun" he commented before we walked towards the car park.  
  
"I suppose this mission accomplished then" I mused as we came to a stop in front of Kai's car.  
  
"It better be. I'm not going to go along with any more of your crazy ideas" Kai muttered as he unlocked his car door.  
  
Thanks for everything Kai-kun" I said and to gave him a swift hug before racing off towards my car.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Hey Kai" Mariah said as she came bounding up to me on Monday morning.  
  
Why was it that everybody else seemed so awake in the morning? I wondered before I responded to Mariah.  
  
"So, how'd it go Friday night Mariah?" Crystal asked as she walked up to us.  
  
"Oh, it was fun" Mariah replied vaguely before smiling.  
  
"Really?" Crystal commented. "Anything interesting happen?"  
  
"Not particularly" Mariah answered as her cheeks colored slightly.  
  
"Sure about that?" she said, continuing to torment Mariah. "Look, there's Rei, why don't I go ask him about Friday night?" she said as Rei and Tala approached us.  
  
"Crystal!" Mariah called out but it was too late. Crystal had already ran to Rei and was now in the process in dragging him towards us with Tala trailing behind casually.  
  
"So Rei how was Friday night? Did you have fun?" Crystal said nudging Mariah playfully.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah, it was fun" Rei said grinning like a Cheshire cat.  
  
The bell for homeroom rang, echoing throughout the school.  
  
"Will you allow me to escort you to homeroom milady?" Rei inquired to Mariah and held his arm out to her.  
  
"Why thank-you kind sir" Mariah said as she took his arm.  
  
"Oh my god!" Crystal squealed and leaped into my arms without any warning. "They are so cute!"  
  
"Do you mind?" I said, my voice slightly muffled as I regained my balance.  
  
"Not at all" she replied cheekily as she turned to look at me.  
  
"I'd like to get to homeroom today" I huffed as she jumped back down to the floor.  
  
'Sorry" she said sheepishly. "I just couldn't help myself"  
  
"Hey, are guys coming or not?" Tala called from half-way up the hall.  
  
"Coming!" Crystal shouted in reply and then turned to me. "I'll race you Kai-kun. Last one to homeroom is a rotten egg!" and with that she took off down the hall.  
  
Rolling my eyes at her retreating back, I headed towards homeroom.  
  
Pretty short chapter huh? Please review okay?  
  
Also to Kais Hot Babe: If you want to get anonymous reviews, you need to go to your profile setting I think and there'll be a check box and uncheck it to accept anonymous reviews. I hope that helps. 


	21. Chapter 21: Golden invitation

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 21: Golden invitation  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Kai?" my mother called out when I entered the house.  
  
"Yes mum?" I answered as I walked into the lounge to find her sitting on a couch there.  
  
"Something came in the mail for you today" she replied and handed me gold envelop with my name and address clearly printed on it in bold text.  
  
Whose birthday is it? I wondered. The only mail I receive are invites to some parties. And by the looks of it, this envelop was most likely from one of my father's associate's son or daughter. Although my school was prestigious and private, there were only a few people who would spend this much money on invitations.  
  
Seating myself down on a leather couch, I tore the envelop open and took out the card inside to see that it read:  
  
Dear Kai Hiwatari,  
  
You have been cordially invited to attend Melissa Tan's 18th birthday party which is to take place on the 21st of June and will commence at 6.00pm, at the Tokyo Hotel Ballroom. The attire is formal ware and it is expected that a dance partner will accompany you. Your attendance must be confirmed by the 17h of June by the contact number of (09) 7654-2196.  
  
Yours sincerely, Melissa Tan.  
  
I smirked and rolled my eyes. How typical. As I began jamming the invitation back into the envelope, some writing caught my eye.  
  
There was a note in bright red ink scribbled on the reverse side of the card. Frowning, I withdrew the card again and squinted to make out the scrawled handwriting.  
  
Hey Kai baby.  
  
So, you'll be coming to my party? You shouldn't have to worry about a dance partner. I'm free. You just have to come. It'll be the best. I'll absolutely die if you didn't.  
  
Ta-ta for now.  
  
Love you heaps, Melissa.  
  
I cringed inwardly as I read the message. My father would tell me to go since it would be a good chance to socialize with all the snobs which he always reminded me, that I would probably work with in the future.  
  
"Bad news Kai?" my mother asked me.  
  
"Melissa's birthday party" I muttered.  
  
"I suppose you'll have to go." Mum stated as she glanced at the envelope. "If the invitations are like that, I wonder what her party will be like"  
  
"Full of snobs without a doubt" I grumbled I shoved the card back into the envelope and into my pocket.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"Kai-kun, you didn't by any chance get anything in the mail yesterday, did you?" I asked as I sat down next to him at lunch.  
  
"What if I said I did?" he responded.  
  
"Well then I would ask you whether what you got was the same thing as what I got" I said.  
  
"And what did you get?" he questioned.  
  
"An invite from Melissa for her 18th" I answered rolling my eyes. "I assume you got one too since she absolutely adores you"  
  
"Who's having a party?" Tala asked as he came up to us.  
  
"Melissa" I replied promptly.  
  
"And who is Melissa?" Rei inquired as Mariah sat on his lap.  
  
"Some snob who thinks she's better than everybody else" I answered. "She works for my dad" I added as an afterthought.  
  
"You really don't like her, do you Crystal?" Mariah said.  
  
"Nope. Kai doesn't either" I responded. "Anyway, you should've seen the invite. It was covered in gold. It was so tacky."  
  
"The invitation was covered in gold?" Tala said in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah, I'd show it to you but after I opened it, I chucked it somewhere" I said dismissively.  
  
"I think I still have it in my pocket" Kai spoke up and pulled a crumpled gold envelope from his pocket and passed it to me.  
  
"Like I want to even look at it again. It nearly blinded me the first time I saw it" I said as I pushed it away.  
  
"Here, gimme a look" Mariah said and took it from Kai.  
  
Rei read it over Mariah's shoulder before handing it to Tala.  
  
"The attire is formal ware and it is expected that a dance partner will accompany you," Tala recited from the card. "Are you serious? Dude, tell me you're not planning on going?"  
  
"Sorry, I wish I wasn't going either but my father says I have to" Kai grumbled.  
  
"Hey, what's that on the other side?" I asked when Tala handed Kai back the card.  
  
"Huh?" he said confused.  
  
"I don't think I had that on my card" I said as I examined it after plucking it out of his hand. There was a pause as I read it. "Oh Kai-kun, I feel really sorry for you" I said sympathetically.  
  
"I don't want your pity" he said scowling.  
  
"Why, what does it say?" Rei asked curiously.  
  
"A-hem" I cleared her throat then proceeded to read the note out in a breathy high-pitched girly voice. The others collapsed with laughter at the end.  
  
"Oh Kai baby, you're so hot right now" Rei mimicked with tears in his eyes.  
  
"Shut up, all of you" Kai snapped with irritation.  
  
"So, is she really going to be your dance partner?" I asked Kai inquisitively.  
  
"Hell no" he responded, his lips curling in disgust.  
  
"Well then, who are you going to go with? The invitation clearly states that you're expected to bring a dance partner" Tala said logically.  
  
"He'll go with me" I stated simply and everybody turned to look at me. "What? Why not? All the other people there are snobs, so why not go with me? My father's encouraging me to go. Although I don't have to, I feel sorry for Kai if he has to put up with Melissa throwing herself at him all night. Anyway, I kicked her ass once, and I can do it again. Imagine how humiliating it'll be for her for me to kick her ass at her own birthday party"  
  
"Who says I want to go with you?" Kai snapped.  
  
"Look" I said sighing, "Do you seriously want Melissa as your dance partner?"  
  
"No" he said flatly.  
  
"So it's decided then, okay?" I asked hesitantly.  
  
There was silence as Kai apparently thought it over.  
  
"Fine" he said finally agreeing.  
  
"Good" I said gleefully. "I can't wait to see the look on Melissa's face"  
  
So, what'd you think? I thought it was pretty good. Anyway, don't forget to review. Thanks heaps to all the reviews I got. 


	22. Chapter 22: Believer whatever you want t...

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 22: Believe whatever you want to  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"I assume you got the invitation to Melissa's birthday celebration?" my father asked curtly that night at dinner.  
  
"Yes" I responded, already knowing what was coming.  
  
"And?" he questioned.  
  
"And I do indeed plan on going" I answered in a toneless voice.  
  
"Good" my father said apparently pleased. "By the way, who do you plan on taking as your dance partner?"  
  
Crap. I had forgotten that he might've asked me this. Damn, I didn't want to tell him. All I needed was for him to try and fix an arranged marriage for me with Akina if he thought that there was any possibility that I might go along with it.  
  
"Well Kai?" my father asked impatiently.  
  
"I'm taking a girl from school" I replied, stalling for time but knowing that he would probe me for more details.  
  
"A girl from school?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Who is this girl? Is she of acceptable social status?"  
  
I sighed in defeat. Escape was no longer an option.  
  
"I'm taking Hiragazaki Akina" I said reluctantly.  
  
"Excellent" my father said clasping his hands together. "This will be very good"  
  
Rolling my eyes, I excused myself and went up to my bedroom.  
  
Entering my room, I heard my phone ringing on my desk. Diving for it, I picked it up and answered it.  
  
"Hello?" I asked but all I got was a dial tone.  
  
Scowling, I scrolled through my phone to see who had called me. The result was an unknown number being displayed across the screen. Wondering who it could be, I punched the number in and waited for an answer.  
  
"Hello?" a familiar girl's voice answers.  
  
"You called?" I responded, my mind still trying to figure out who this is.  
  
"Yeah. But do you know who this is Kai-kun?" she said giggling.  
  
"Akina" I answered as something clicked in my head.  
  
"Uh-huh" she confirmed.  
  
"So what'd you call me for?" I asked her.  
  
"To ask you whether you've decided what you're going to wear to Melissa's party" she said.  
  
"I haven't decided yet" I replied.  
  
"Okay. Umm, can you wear something dark blue? It doesn't have to be all blue just at least one article has to be blue" she said.  
  
"Fine then." I agreed. "Is there anything else you want to ask while you're at it?"  
  
"Do you want to meet there or what?" she inquired after a moment's thought.  
  
I paused and considered my options. I could always meet her there, but then if I did my father wouldn't exactly be pleased.  
  
"I'll pick you up" I finally offered. "Is 6 okay?"  
  
"Yeah, that's fine. Have you called in to R.S.V.P yet?" she said.  
  
"No, not yet. I'll do it after this" I said in return.  
  
"Do you have any idea about what present you're going to get for Melissa?" Akina asked curiously.  
  
"No. I'll just get mum to pick up something" I said emotionlessly.  
  
"How about I take care of the present?" she offered.  
  
"Okay, fine. If you really want to" I said.  
  
"Well, I'll see you at school tomorrow then Kai-kun" she said and hung up.  
  
After getting off the line, I searched through my pockets until I found Melissa's invitation. Sighing, I dialed the number and waited for somebody to pick up.  
  
"Hello, Tan residence, how may I help you?" a female voice on the other line asked.  
  
Definitely not Melissa I thought in relief.  
  
"Yes. I'm responding to the invitation concerning Melissa's birthday celebration" I stated curtly.  
  
"Ah yes. May I please have your name?" the voice questioned.  
  
"Hiwatari Kai" I gave her and there was a paused while she obviously took it down.  
  
"Thank-you for your reply. Have a nice day" the woman said before I hung up.  
  
"Should've gotten mum to call up" I muttered as I turned on my computer.  
  
After responding to Melissa's invitation, I crossed to my room to turn on my stereo. Flicking past the stations, I couldn't find anything that I particularly liked so I walked over to my desk to get my c.ds. As returned to the stereo, a very familiar melody drifted from it. It was the exact same song that I had heard Akina playing when I went to her house. When the song was over the D.J announced that it was First love by Utada Hikaru. So that was what it was called I mused.  
  
The next few days passed by and before I knew it, it was the day of Melissa's party.  
  
"What to wear, what to wear?" I mumbled as I flicked through my walk in robe.  
  
"Kai? Need any help?" my mother offered, sticking her head through my door.  
  
"Yeah, okay" I answered after I considered her offer for a second.  
  
"Do you have any preference?" mum queried as began to look through my clothes.  
  
"Akina said to wear something dark blue" I said remembering.  
  
"Oh I see" she said and stopped at a dark blue shirt. "Here" she said and thrust it into my hands before turning to look at pants and jackets. "It would be suitable to go with black" she commented and handed a black jacket and pants to me. "Do you want a tie as well?" she turned to look at me.  
  
"I suppose so" I said shrugging.  
  
"Take this one" she replied and tossed a slightly lighter blue tie at me. "There you go"  
  
"Thanks" I said as I caught it.  
  
I glanced out the window as the limousine came to a halt in front of Akina's front entrance. Looking at the clock, I found that it read 5:55. A few minutes early, suppose I'll wait I thought. Girls are always running late anyway. A flash of movement from the house caught my eye and I sat up. There was Akina walking down the steps, towards the car. I now realized why she had asked me to wear dark blue. Akina's dress nearly touched her ankles and was made of the exact same shade of shade of blue that my shirt was. The dress was simple and short- sleeved, with a high collar and flowers embroidered on it in light blue indicating that it was of a Chinese style. Midnight blue heels were at her feet while the front portion of her hair was held back with tiny flower clips with sapphires in the centre. Her earrings were silver flowers with sapphires in the middle, the same as the ones on her hair clips and she only wore a little make-up to bring out her features.  
  
"Hey Kai-kun" she said as she slid into the seat next to mine and placing a box smartly wrapped in blue paper next to her.  
  
"Hey Akina" I replied. "You look really beautiful tonight" I added courteously.  
  
"Thank-you. But I know your heart isn't really in the compliment." She answered. "You only said that because you've been bought up to"  
  
I looked at her in disbelief. She was clever, I had to admit that.  
  
"Well you really are pretty" I said, trying again.  
  
"That's better. I actually believe that one" she said teasingly.  
  
"Believe whatever you want to" I said rolling my eyes. "Anyway, you were fast. I thought that girls usually take forever to get ready"  
  
"Not all girls are like that Kai-kun. You shouldn't stereotype people" she commented lightly as we coasted to a stop in front of the Tokyo hotel.  
  
Review and tell me what you think please. Thanks to all those who review. I'd also just like to tell you that I'm planning to make this fic like really, really long. Like probably at least 40 chapters maybe? Somebody also asked me whether I'm from the U.K. I'm actually from Australia so yeah. 


	23. Chapter 23: Horrible fashion sense

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 23: Horrible fashion sense  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
Stepping gracefully out of the car, I turned to face Kai.  
  
"Ready?" he asked and reluctantly offered me his arm.  
  
"Next time, don't say or do anything you don't really mean" I advised him noticing his reluctance.  
  
"I do and say what I don't mean because I have to" he stated in reply as we went through the revolving doors.  
  
"Good evening Hiwatari-sama" the receptionist greeted us. "Are you here to attend Melissa Tan's 18th birthday party?"  
  
"Yes" he responded and we were immediately ushered to a ballroom.  
  
"Hmph" Kai huffed as we entered. "She must've spent too much money on invitations so had to settle for a smaller ballroom instead"  
  
"Well, I suppose it looks okay. Although, the main ballroom is much larger" I commented, gazing around me. "Gee, I wonder where Melissa is. I bet you she's-" I didn't get the chance to finish my sentence because at that moment, a blob of bright pink flew into Kai.  
  
"What the hell?" he asked from underneath it.  
  
"Kai-kun!" the pink blob screeched.  
  
"Get off me" Kai grumbled and shoved the thing off him.  
  
Oh my god. It was Melissa. I thought that I had seen a lot of bad dress sense, but this, this was a hundred times worse. I stepped back on impulse, bumping into Kai slightly.  
  
Melissa's normally brown mousey hair had been dyed a platinum blonde and was curled most likely by herself since it looked extremely unprofessional. If she was going to curl it herself, she should at least learn how to do it properly first. Her dress was also another serious issue which needed to be dealt with. Ending at her thigh, the dress was a shockingly bright hot pink and had ruffles and bows all over it. There were slits and slashes all over it, exposing her skin. Her make-up was hideous, lipstick the same color of her dress was smeared over her lips while her foundation was very clearly condensed around once area, most likely to cover up a pimple. Violet eye shadow coated her eyelids and the eye-liner made it look like she had bags underneath her eyes. I groaned, unable to believe that such fashion sense existed.  
  
"I missed you so much" she cooed as she tried to grab Kai's hand but only got air instead.  
  
"Ahem" I said, clearing my throat just for the fun of it.  
  
Melissa turned to me, her mouth dropping open when recognition dawned in her eyes.  
  
"You" she spat.  
  
"Yes me" I replied pleasantly. "Happy Birthday Melissa"  
  
"Yeah" Kai echoed after me watching for a reaction.  
  
"Here you go" I said cheerfully and handed her the gift. "We hope you like it" I added, using 'we' intentionally.  
  
"Why thank-you" she said with false sweetness.  
  
God, she was so fake. At least when I was fake, I bothered to cover it up.  
  
"So who's your dance partner?" she inquired sarcastically, looking around for another person.  
  
So, she still thought that Kai was going to be her dance partner? I thought, keeping my smirk from showing. My eyes flickered to Kai for a moment, wondering if he was going to say anything at all or just allow me to do all the talking.  
  
"Me" he spoke up.  
  
"Excuse me?" she said, her hand flying to her chest.  
  
"I said that, I am Akina's dance partner and she is mine" he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.  
  
"But, but, you said that I was to be your dance partner" she stuttered angrily.  
  
"No, I said nothing of that sort. You assumed it" Kai stated patiently.  
  
"You-" she began.  
  
"You shouldn't be so assumptious Melissa" I said lightly, cutting her off before glancing over at Kai.  
  
"Would you like to dance Akina?" he asked, taking the hint and offering me his hand.  
  
"I'd love to Kai-kun" I answered and slid my hand into his.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Can you believe what she was wearing?" Akina asked me in disbelief as I led her to the dance floor.  
  
"No" I replied.  
  
"Oh great. No DJ. She just had to hire a string quartet didn't she?" Akina said groaning as classical music floated around us.  
  
"What do you expect? She's not really rich, only pretending to be" I said. "Do you still want to dance?"  
  
"Sure, why not. There's nothing better to do" she replied.  
  
"Are you sure you can dance?" I questioned uncertainly.  
  
"Of course I can dance. I've takes dancing lessons before you know." She answered before tugging at my hand. "But the real question is, can you dance?"  
  
"Of course I can" I responded irritably and picked up her other hand.  
  
We started dancing on the edge but soon found ourselves in the centre of the floor. Akina was right, she could certainly dance well. Out of all the girls I had danced with before, all because my father told me to, Akina was without a doubt the best. She moved with grace and fluency to the music, always keeping in synch with it and surprisingly allowed me to lead.  
  
"Is there going to be food served?" she asked after a few songs.  
  
"I don't know" I said and looked over the bobbing heads to see a table set up on the other side. "I think there's only finger food"  
  
"Oh crap. Are you serious? I didn't eat before I came" Akina grumbled.  
  
I smirked; at least I wasn't the only one who thought that finger food didn't fill you up.  
  
"Let's go eat anyway. Do you think there'll be cake?" she said hopefully.  
  
"I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you. Even if there is cake, it'll probably be some 99.9% fat free stuff. Melissa's a dieting freak" I added.  
  
"Surprise, surprise" Akina muttered as approached the table. "Ooh look Kai- kun" she said suddenly, taking a hold of my arm lightly. "It's Melissa. Shall we go and socialize?"  
  
"Oh, I think so. That's the only reason why my father sent me here" I replied.  
  
"Good" Akina said giggling. "This should be fun" "Hey Melissa" she called out when we reached her and some other people standing near the table.  
  
"Oh hello" Melissa responded stiffly.  
  
"So, when are you going to cut the cake?" Akina questioned.  
  
"In a little while" Melissa answered.  
  
"I don't believe we've all met" Akina said brightly, smiling at the other people. She then proceeded to introduce herself to the others. This was all quite fascinating to watch since when she gave them her full name, their eyes would widen comically and their mouths would drop open. But Akina didn't even notice or if she did she didn't show it.  
  
"So who are you here with?" a red-headed girl, I can't remember her name, asked curiously.  
  
"I'm here with Kai-kun" Akina replied.  
  
"Oh really?" a guy asked, his eyes sweeping over Akina. "Are you girlfriend and boyfriend then?"  
  
Suddenly, an idea formed in my head.  
  
"Yeah" I answered swiftly and Akina shot me a surprised look.  
  
"Whoa. Who would've imagined, the daughter and son of the two most successful companies in Asia are going out" a girl said in awe.  
  
"What?" Melissa snapped.  
  
"Why is it we always have to repeat things to you?" Akina said shaking her head. "Kai and I are boyfriend and girlfriend"  
  
I noticed the disappointed looks on the guys' faces and smirked.  
  
"So how long have you two been together?" a guy spoke up and soon everybody's eyes had turned our way.  
  
"Well, since the start of the year" Akina replied and then began to spin off an incredible story of how we first met when I caught her when she was falling down the stairs and so on. I rolled me eyes; boy could that girl act or what I thought.  
  
"So it was love at first sight?" one girl asked amazed.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose you could say that" Akina answered glancing at me with a smile gracing her lips.  
  
"Wow, you're so lucky" the girl commented wistfully.  
  
"I think I'll cut the cake now" Melissa interrupted, attempting to shift the limelight back to herself. Throughout Akina's entire 'story' Melissa's face had steadily grown redder and redder. She looked absolutely livid; veins were popping out her emu- like neck and her hands were clenched in fistfuls of her dress at her side.  
  
It was entirely amusing and definitely worth all the trouble. Although, Akina seemed to be on a ball once I had started it.  
  
"So sweetie" she said, interrupting my thoughts, "What made you say that?"  
  
"I thought it'd be amusing" I replied out of the side of my mouth.  
  
"Really? I never thought you were that kind of person" she commented as she slipped her hand through mine. I was about to pull away when I remembered that we were 'girlfriend and boyfriend.'  
  
"What do you mean that kind of person?" I grumbled.  
  
"Come, on, I want to see the cake" Akina said and tugged me towards the front.  
  
Thanks so much for all the reviews. Please keep reviewing. Bubaiz for now. *waves* 


	24. Chapter 24: Fat free cake

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 24: Fat free cake  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"I suppose Melissa will open her presents after the cake" I mused as Kai and I made our way to the front.  
  
The cake wasn't as impressive as I thought it'd be. It was only one layer with whipped cream which looked suspiciously like the fat free stuff. A few slices of fruit decorated the top and I decided that it was most probably sponge inside. How disappointing. I had been expecting so much more since the invitation was covered in gold.  
  
"I was expecting something better" I whispered to Kai.  
  
"Told you she spent too much money on the invitations" he muttered back.  
  
I giggled and then watched Melissa prance around, commanding as much attention as she could muster. She proceeded to bow, curtsey and attempt to try to flirt with all the guys, all the time, her eyes kept flickering to me and Kai.  
  
"Will she hurry up and cut the cake already?" Kai grumbled impatiently.  
  
A hush soon fell over the crowd and everybody began to sing Happy Birthday.  
  
After that was finished she cut the cake and some idiot shouted out that if she touched the bottom she'd have to kiss the nearest boy. At that point, she hadn't yet touched the bottom but when reminded she promptly let the knife slide to the bottom.  
  
"Oops" she said covering her mouth, widening her eyes in an exaggerated fashion.  
  
Immediately, all the guys around her moved away leaving no guys around Melissa for at least 7 meters.  
  
"Don't worry. I'll protect you Kai-kun" I teased him. "After all, you are my 'boyfriend' and if she tries anything, then I am more than obliged to kick her tiny ass"  
  
"Thanks for the comfort" he replied.  
  
"No problem" I said.  
  
After Melissa had made the first cut, she moved over and allowed a waiter to serve up the rest. Moving forward, I collected a plate and fork and spotted Melissa about to sit down at a table filled with other people.  
  
"Do we have to?" Kai muttered under his breath when I made a move to go sit with them.  
  
"I have an idea to annoy Melissa even more" I told him.  
  
"Fine then" he agreed and we walked towards the table hand in hand.  
  
"Hey" I said when we arrived in front of them.  
  
"Move over guys" a person said and two seats next to Melissa opened up.  
  
"This is a great party" I said to Melissa when me and Kai sat down.  
  
I ate a forkful of cake and froze. It was like flour and chalk mixed together in my mouth. It was way too dry and had zero taste. If I hadn't been told that it was cake, I would've thought that it was dust. Swallowing the lump of cake, I looked around to see that everybody else had hardly touched the cake. But Melissa was contentedly nibbling at hers.  
  
"Here" I said and offered a forkful of the cake to Kai who hesitated. "It's not sweet, so you'll probably like it" I whispered into his ear.  
  
"Fine" he grunted and ate a mouthful. His eyes widened in shock and for a moment, I was afraid that he was going to choke but he managed to get it down in the end.  
  
"Pretty good right?" Melissa asked, a twitch above her eyebrow indicating that she wasn't at all pleasd with the little exchange.  
  
Kai coughed in reply.  
  
"Okay, present time then" she said clapping her hands, oblivious to Kai's lack of response.  
  
After going through many wrapped gifts, she had gotten a few stuffed toys and bottles of perfume; she came to mine and Kai's gift.  
  
"Ooh, who's this from?" she asked excitedly as she held up the box.  
  
"Us" Kai stated.  
  
"Oh, you two bought one gift between the two of you?" Melissa asked, her face falling.  
  
"Yes. I hope that's okay" I responded knowing that in front of all these people she wouldn't dare to say that it wasn't.  
  
"Of course" she answered.  
  
"By the way, what did you buy her?" Kai asked me.  
  
"Wait and see" I said in return.  
  
After Melissa had unwrapped the blue wrapping paper, she came to a white box. She opened it up to reveal a golden set of clips, a comb and a hand mirror, each with swirls carved into it.  
  
"Oh, it's marvelous" Melissa said. "Thank-you so much"  
  
"It's no trouble at all." I said. "I'll be back in a minute" I told Kai and got up to go to the bathroom.  
  
When I was in a stall, I heard the door open and a bunch of chattering girls entered.  
  
"This party sucks" a girl said.  
  
"Yeah I know." Another replied.  
  
"But you know what I heard?" a third voice chimed in.  
  
"What?" unison of voices asked her.  
  
"I head that Melissa was suppose to have Hiwatari Kai as her dance partner" the girl said in a slightly hushed voice.  
  
"But isn't he here with somebody else?" somebody asked.  
  
"Yeah, he's here with Hiragazaki Akina" another person filled in.  
  
"Really? Which one is she?" a voice said and soon everybody was chattering at the top of their voices.  
  
"She's the really pretty one, you know the girl with the black hair and blue Chinese dress"  
  
"Oh her. She's so pretty don't you think?"  
  
A chorus of voices agreed with her.  
  
"Hiwatari is so cute. I'm so envious of Hiragazaki but it's hard to hate her she's really kind. She and Hiwatari make a great couple. They seem perfect together."  
  
"But doesn't Melissa feel resentful towards her?"  
  
"Who knows? I suppose she would. But if you were Hiwatari, would you choose Melissa over Hiragazaki Akina?"  
  
"Of course not. Melissa is so ugly and stuck up. Hiragazaki seems really nice and sweet, not stuck up at all. And Melissa's father is the one who works for Hiragazaki"  
  
The bathroom door swung open and the voices faded.  
  
I opened the stall door carefully and poked my head out. The coast was clear, washing my hands in the sink, I thought about what the other girls had said. Seemed like nobody particularly liked Melissa.  
  
Sorry for the short chappie. Ermmz, thanx for all the reviews. Keep them coming please. The more reviews, the faster I'll update okay? *gigglez* Bubaiz for now! 


	25. Chapter 25: Naturally cold

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 25: Naturally cold  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"I'm so bored" Akina muttered as we danced around the ballroom. "There's only so many times I can dance to classical music before I get tired of it."  
  
"Well there's nothing else to do" I grumbled in return.  
  
"Why don't we just leave?" she suggested.  
  
"Leave?" I said mockingly. "But the party hasn't even ended yet"  
  
"We can come back in a while. I just want a change of scenery. And Melissa glaring at me every 10 seconds is beginning to annoy me" she added.  
  
"Where do you want to go?" I enquired raising my eyebrows.  
  
"Why don't you show me around the hotel?" Akina asked.  
  
"Fine" I agreed and led her toward to the exit where we slipped out quietly.  
  
"So where do you want to go?" I questioned her while we stood in the lobby.  
  
"It's a nice night. Let's go outside" Akina said and we walked briskly outside.  
  
"It's so pretty" Akina said gazing around at the pool and landscaping before taking my hand and heading towards a bench.  
  
"When do you think the party will finish?" I asked her after a while.  
  
"Maybe in another two hours or so?" Akina replied.  
  
"Are you serious?" I said in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah. Are you that anxious to get out of here?" she said.  
  
"Of course. It's like freaking snobville here" I answered scowling.  
  
"They're not all snobs you know" she responded thoughtfully.  
  
"You don't know them as well as I do" I grumbled.  
  
"Have you ever thought that other people might think that you're a snob?" Akin spoke up.  
  
"What? I am not a snob!" I protested.  
  
"I'm not saying that you are" Akina quickly defended herself. "I'm just saying that because you always appear so err cold towards others, they might think that you're a snob"  
  
"Is that what you think?" I asked her.  
  
"Of course not Kai-kun" she said smiling. "I know that you're just naturally cold"  
  
"Whatever" I said rolling my eyes at her. "By the way, nice present you got Melissa. I'm surprised"  
  
"Surprised? Why?" she asked in confusion.  
  
"Well I didn't think you'd get her something that nice" I said.  
  
"Well even if I don't like her, I wouldn't give her a crap gift. I like to think I'm not that petty" Akina answered thoughtfully. "Anyway, don't you think that it suits her? Personally, I think it's kinda tacky. Which is why I bought it for her. I thought she'd like it since her invite was covered in gold. She strikes me as a person who likes to look at herself a lot"  
  
"Cold?" I inquired smirking when I saw her wrap her arms around herself.  
  
"No" she replied.  
  
I sighed. She was so stubborn.  
  
"Let's go back inside" I said getting up.  
  
"What? Re-enter snobville?" she joked but got up to join me.  
  
"Well I intend in leaving within the next few minutes. I already wasted enough time here" I responded.  
  
When we entered the lobby, a crowd of people were gathered around something there. As we neared closer, I realized that they were standing around a black grand piano and that Melissa was playing it. Not very well I might add.  
  
"Seeking attention again I suppose" Akina commented.  
  
"Why don't you play?" I asked her.  
  
"I'd rather not. Unlike some people" she shot a glance at Melissa, "I prefer not to showcase myself"  
  
"Kai! Over here!" Melissa's voice called out.  
  
"Damn" I cursed underneath my breath.  
  
"Don't worry. I'll have us out of here in a minute" Akina said to me, smiling cheekily as she took a hold of my hand.  
  
"Kai, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you. Did you hear me playing before? Pretty good right?" Melissa rambled on.  
  
"Hi to you too Melissa" Akina said pointedly before continuing. "Kai and I went outside to have a little privacy." She said emphasizing the last few words.  
  
The effect on Melissa was her face turning scarlet.  
  
"So did you hear me before?" she said and turned back to me.  
  
I mumbled something incoherently under my breath and Melissa took that as a yes.  
  
"I didn't know you played piano Melissa" Akina said catching my eye and giving me a wink.  
  
"Oh, I do." Melissa said and faced Akina with a look in her eye which clearly reflected her arrogance.  
  
"What a coincidence! I play too" Akina responded.  
  
She was going to play. I could tell from the glint in her eyes. She probably hadn't planned to but since Melissa was acting all cocky, she probably thought it her duty to put her back into her place.  
  
"Well, why don't you play something for us?" Melissa insisted falling into Akina's trap.  
  
"Nah, I don't feel like it right now" Akina said dismissively.  
  
I was surprised. I was sure that Akina would show up Melissa.  
  
"I think that Kai and I will be on our way now. I hope you have a nice birthday" Akina said before I steered her out of the lobby.  
  
"How come you didn't play?" I asked her when we got into the limo.  
  
"Didn't I tell you just before? I prefer not to showcase myself" Akina answered. "Anyway, I thought that we had caused her enough trouble. It is her birthday after all"  
  
It wasn't long until we came to a stop in front of Akina's house.  
  
"Dad must still have a friend over" Akina said absentmindedly as the door opened.  
  
I glanced out and saw a familiar car parked on the other side of the driveway. It was my father's car. What the hell was he doing here? I thought scowling.  
  
"Kai?" Akina said.  
  
"What?" I snapped.  
  
"Is something wrong?" she questioned carefully.  
  
"My father's at your house" I grumbled.  
  
"Oh, well do you want to come in then?" she asked me.  
  
"I suppose I should if my father's here" I agreed reluctantly.  
  
"Great! I was planning on eating, so you can join me if you want" Akina said brightly and ran toward the front door.  
  
Sighing, I followed her and found my father and hers in the lounge.  
  
"Hi dad" she greeted her father.  
  
"Hello Akina and Hiwatari Kai" he replied as he saw me enter after Akina. "How was the party?"  
  
"Boring. The food wasn't very good and we're still hungry so Kai and I are going to go eat now okay?" she replied cheerfully.  
  
I was shocked at her bluntness. I hadn't thought she would've voiced her actual opinion of Melissa's party to her father.  
  
"Is that so?" her father said chuckling. "Ah well, go ahead and eat to your heart's content."  
  
Akina skipped down the corridor, leaving me in the lounge. When she realized that I wasn't behind her, she raced back to me and took my hand leading me away. As she did that, I saw a look of amusement on her father's face.  
  
"Well what do you want to eat?" Akina asked as we stood in the middle of a stainless steel kitchen.  
  
"Anything will do." I answered.  
  
"Is pasta okay?" she questioned holding up a packet of it.  
  
"Pasta's fine" I replied and watched her as she began to boil some water. "Don't you have cooks and chefs?"  
  
"Yeah" she said as she pulled out a bottle of sauce from a cupboard.  
  
"So why aren't they cooking?" I inquired in confusion.  
  
"Because I can cook myself and I don't want to trouble them this late at night" she responded.  
  
"But isn't that what you pay them for?" I said.  
  
"They're people too you know." Akina told me and I didn't know how to reply to that.  
  
"Okay, it's ready" Akina chirped and placed a plate of pasta in front of me.  
  
"Err, this isn't poisoned by any chance is it?" I inquired before taking a bite.  
  
"No, I can cook you know. Unlike some people who have chefs, I don't depend on them to serve me every single meal" she responded after taking a bite of pasta.  
  
Just when we had finished eating and were wondering what to do next, Akina's father and my father strolled into the kitchen.  
  
"Kai, it's time we get going now" my father stated.  
  
"Thank you for your hospitality Li" he said to Mr. Hiragazaki.  
  
"It's not trouble at all" Mr. Hiragazaki responded with a dismissive wave of his hand.  
  
"Thanks for taking me to Melissa's part Kai-kun" Akina said softly.  
  
"Mmm" I grunted before following my father out of the house.  
  
Okay, so how was that? Remember to review okay? The chapters will get longer soon... 


	26. Chapter 26: Ski trip

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 26: Ski trip  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"Students, I am pleased to inform you that a ski camp has been planned for all of year 12. It is expected that you will all attend. Please pass around the forms and get your parents to sign them as soon as possible" Ms. Carmel explained while handing out sheets of paper.  
  
I glanced down and to see that it read:  
  
To parents and guardians,  
  
A ski camp to Yuzawa has been planned by the school board. The students will attend ski lessons if they do not know how to ski or if they are more experienced they may develop their skills. Other activities such as snowboarding and ice-skating will also be run. It will commence on the 7th of September and will conclude on the 14th of September. The school is expecting that all will attend. Students are to assemble at the school gates at 6am on the day and from there they will travel by bus to arrive at ? by 10am. Students will arrive back at school at 6pm on the 14th. Included with this notice is a list of items the students must bring. The expenses will cover accommodation, equipment hire, lift passes and meals.  
  
Thank-you  
  
The school board  
  
A ski camp huh? This should be interesting I thought as I skimmed through the list of items to bring which included warm clothes, gloves, shoes, toiletries, camera, etc. Sleeping bags were not required since we would be provided with Manchester.  
  
"This is going to be so cool!" Mariah exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, only two weeks away. I'm surprised that they arranged it so soon" Tala commented.  
  
"Okay students, cabins can hold 5 people each. Please assemble your groups and then list the names on the sheets here" Ms. Carmel said and held up some papers. "And before you ask, yes you may have boys and girls in the cabins, although it isn't highly recommended. But since the cabin is divided into rooms, it is possible if you really want to"  
  
"So, is it safe for me to assume that the five of us," Rei glanced at Tala, Mariah, Kai and me, "Are going to share a cabin?"  
  
"It's fine with me" I replied shrugging and everybody else nodded their agreement.  
  
"I'll go get us a cabin then" Mariah suggested cheerfully and Rei got up to go with her.  
  
"Think they plan on sharing a room?" Tala asked with a smirk.  
  
Two weeks later  
  
Kai's POV  
  
It was too early to be up I thought as I fought to keep my eyes open.  
  
"It's way too early to be up" Crystal said echoing my thoughts as she stifled a yawn.  
  
"Think I'll sleep on the bus" Tala mumbled.  
  
When the teachers had finished calling the roll and all the luggage had been stored away, we climbed up onto the bus.  
  
Rei and Mariah immediately sat together in the middle of the bus, leaving Tala, Crystal and I figuring out where to sit. I couldn't care less where I sat so I just dumped myself on the seat behind Rei and Mariah. Tala then sat down in the seat behind me leaving only Crystal to decide where to sit. She stood there for a moment before seating herself down next to Tala.  
  
After about 30mins on the bus, Crystal changed seats and slid into the one next to me.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I grumbled.  
  
"Tala fell asleep" she said. "I got bored"  
  
"Hey Crystal" Mariah said twisting around in her seat to face us.  
  
"Hey" she replied.  
  
"So, have you skied before?" Rei asked us.  
  
"Yeah, I used to go in winter" Crystal responded.  
  
"You're so lucky. So does that mean you're really good?" Mariah questioned.  
  
"Not really" Crystal answered.  
  
"What about you Kai?" Rei asked me.  
  
"I've been a few times before" I muttered.  
  
After an hour of idle conversation, Rei and Mariah decided to sleep and cuddled up together leaving Crystal and I the only ones in our group awake.  
  
"What are you listening to?" Crystal asked when I pulled out my MD.  
  
"R'n'B" I said.  
  
"Can I listen too?" she said hopefully.  
  
I rolled my eyes and handed her a headphone.  
  
After staring out the window for a while and watching fields go past as I listened to music, I noticed that there was a slight weight on my shoulder. I turned around to find Crystal's head resting lightly on my shoulder, her eyes closed.  
  
Great, of all people to fall asleep on, she just had to fall asleep on my shoulder. When I looked at her, wondering whether I should move or not, her eyes opened and she looked straight at me.  
  
"Hey Kai-kun" she said smiling.  
  
"Would you mind moving your head?" I asked her.  
  
"Actually yes I would" she replied back cheekily and I scowled.  
  
"I am not a pillow" I stated.  
  
"But your shirt is soft" she said her voice becoming muffled as she buried her face in it. "What kind of softener do you use?"  
  
"How the hell am I suppose to know?" I snapped.  
  
"You have anger management problems you know" she commented as she lifted her head up slightly to look at me directly.  
  
"I do not. It's just because you're around" I answered.  
  
"That's not a very nice thing to say Kai-kun" Crystal pouted.  
  
"I don't care" I muttered before returning to stare out of the window.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
The bus wound its way up the steep mountain until it finally reached the peak. The sight which greeted us was breath-taking. Everything around us was covered in snow and smoke curled its way up lazily into the sky from the lodge's chimney.  
  
"Students, please collect your luggage from the bus and your room number and keys from me before making your way to the lodge." Ms. Carmel called out over the sea of chattering voices.  
  
"I'll get the keys" Kai said after we had all collected out bags.  
  
When he returned we all lugged out bags up to the lodge and stopped at the cabin marked with the number 19 on the front. Dropping his bags onto the floor, Kai dug the keys out of his pocket and opened the doors up. The cabin was tastefully furnished with oak furniture and oriental rugs covered the wooden floorboards. In the centre of the room there was a t.v, coffee table and several lounge chairs and couches. Doors stood on the left and the right of the t.v. To the left of the living room there was a kitchen and there was also a door next to it. To our right stood another door as well as a closet.  
  
"Pretty nice" Tala commented and he opened the door to our rights. "I call this bedroom"  
  
"Whatever" Kai mumbled as Rei, Mariah and I moved towards the kitchen. The door next to that produced another bedroom. The door on the right of the t.v led to a tiled bathroom and the last door to the left of the t.v revealed another bedroom.  
  
"So, there are two bedrooms which fit two people and the one Tala called fits one." Rei said. "So the sensible thing to do would have Crystal and Mariah share one while Kai and I share the other."  
  
"Why Rei, I thought that you and Mariah were going to share a room" Tala spoke up and Mariah and Rei's faces turned red.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous Tala" Mariah spluttered.  
  
"I'm not being ridiculous." Tala stated smoothly. "What's wrong with sharing a bedroom with a girl Rei? There are two single beds in there after all"  
  
"But-" Rei began.  
  
"So it's decided then?" Tala interrupted him. "Rei and Mariah can share the bedroom next to the kitchen leaving Kai and Crystal the one next to the bathroom"  
  
"Tala, just let Mariah and Crystal share" Kai said.  
  
"Nah, I think it'll be more amusing to make Rei and Mariah share a room" Tala replied.  
  
"You're very bossy you know that Tala?" I said to him before entering the bedroom next to the bathroom and leaving the rest of them to argue.  
  
I began unpacking my stuff and after several minutes, Kai entered the room with a stormy face.  
  
"Which bed do you want?" I asked him gesturing towards the bed. There was a single bed and a double.  
  
"I'll take the double" he said before heaving is bag on top of it.  
  
That's it for now. Yeah I know it's kinda boring but hopefully it'll become more interesting soon. Please remember to review. Sorry for the short chapter..just to warn you now...the next few chapters aren't really long. But I promise you that chapter 29 is like really long okay? Really sorry once again... Also, some people want something to happen with Crystal and Kai, sorry but nothing really happens until, let's see......ermmz chapter 35? I'm really really sorry, but I've put other stuff in between but I'm not sure whether you'd like it. I think I warned you a few chapters back that it's gonna be a long and slow fic... 


	27. Chapter 27: Snowball fight

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 27: Snowball fight  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Are you finished yet?" I asked Crystal as I turned to face her after I had finished unpacking.  
  
"Yeah. You're the one who took longer than me" she said as she sat up from her bed and turned off her MD.  
  
"You bought a stuffed toy?" I asked in disbelief looking at the bear on her bed.  
  
"Of course. I bring Fuzzz-wuzzi wherever I go" she said seriously as she patted the snow-white bear on the head.  
  
"What happened to what's-his-name?" I asked her as I tried to remember the other bear.  
  
"You mean Lavender? I left him at home" Crystal supplied for me. "Let's go see what everybody else is doing"  
  
I followed her out of the room and into Rei and Mariah's.  
  
"Have you both finished unpacking?" Mariah asked as we entered.  
  
"Yeah" Crystal answered. "Umm, Mariah, how much stuff did you bring? We're only staying for one week you know" she said as she looked at the three suitcases that Mariah was in the process of unpacking.  
  
"I know but I want to make sure I'll be dressed for anything" Mariah said.  
  
"Mariah, why did you bring a formal dress for?" I questioned her as I picked up a purple gown.  
  
"There might be a party" she replied.  
  
"Right, so where has Rei gone to?" Crystal said.  
  
"I think he went to Tala's room after he finished unpacking" she responded as she crossed to the already full wardrobe and attempted to hang up the purple gown.  
  
"I'm going to go see them then" I said and turned to open to the door but ended up running into Rei and Tala.  
  
"Hey" Tala said. "The teacher just told us that we're to assemble in the dining room now"  
  
"Oh, well I suppose I can finish unpacking later then" Mariah said.  
  
"Mariah, do you want me to help you later?" Crystal offered.  
  
"Sure, thanks Crystal" Mariah accepted.  
  
After being told by Ms. Carmel that we could spend the rest of the day exploring and that dinner would be served at 6pm we were dismissed.  
  
"What do you all want to do?" Crystal asked us.  
  
"Well, I suppose we can look around. We're not allowed to hire any equipment until tomorrow" Tala responded.  
  
"Let's have a snow fight" Crystal suggested.  
  
"You guys go ahead. I think I'll just watch you" I said.  
  
"Aww Kai-kun, come on, it'll be fun" Crystal said in attempt to persuade me.  
  
"No thanks. I think I'll go get my camera and then take photos of you guys acting like children" I declined before heading back to the cabin. After getting my camera out of my bag, I heard the door open and close.  
  
"Did you guys decided not to have the snowball fight after all?" I called out thinking it was them.  
  
"Hey sexy" a voice whispered in my ear and a hand slipped around my waist.  
  
I broke out of the grasp to see Mia standing there.  
  
"What are you doing in here?" I snapped thinking that I now needed a shower.  
  
"Looking for you of course. I checked the notice board to see what cabin you were in" she said.  
  
"Well get out of here now" I said disgusted.  
  
"Fine. I'll go wherever you're going then" Mia said.  
  
I scowled and walked back to the others. Tala and Crystal were racing around throwing snowballs at each other while Rei chased Mariah. I saw Mariah hold her hands up in surrender when Rei caught up to her and Rei made a move to hug her but instead changed his mind at the last moment and smashed the snowball in her face. Shirking, Mariah ran towards Crystal for help. I snapped a few pictures as Crystal counter attacked Tala with several snowballs. As I was going through the pictures I had taken while ignoring Mia's consistent chatter, a snowball suddenly flew into my head.  
  
I looked at to see Crystal smiling innocently at me as well as her eyes which had spotted Mia. She tilted her head slightly as if asking a question. I smirked in response and the next thing I knew, a snowball had hurtled towards Mia at full speed and hit her squarely in the face.  
  
"Kai!" she screamed and turned to face me.  
  
"Oh Mia, I'm so sorry. I was aiming for Kai and didn't mean to hit you" Crystal apologized.  
  
"Get away from me! Now I'm all wet and have to go and change!" Mia yelled out and rushed towards the cabins.  
  
Crystal burst into giggles and walked towards me.  
  
"Aren't you going to thank me for saving you from Mia?" she questioned.  
  
"Thank-you" I answered as I gathered together a snowball behind my back.  
  
"So, do you want to join in?" she said looking at Rei and Tala who had Mariah cornered.  
  
"You know what?" I asked her.  
  
"What?" she asked oblivious of the giant snowball I had cradle behind my back.  
  
"I think I will" I said and hurled the snowball at her face.  
  
Crystal ducked swiftly and the snowball sailed over her head.  
  
"No fair" she protested as she gathered up a snowball.  
  
It wasn't long until the air was thick with snowballs flying. By the end of it, everybody was drenched, Mariah particularly.  
  
"I suppose we should all go have a shower" Crystal suggested and we all headed back to the cabins.  
  
"Mariah, you should go first since you're the wettest" Tala told her as we entered the cabin.  
  
"Only because you all ganged up on me" she said before going off.  
  
"Umm, shouldn't we go stand in the kitchen to avoid getting everywhere wet?" Rei said and we moved to stand in the kitchen.  
  
"I'm hungry" Crystal piped up and opened up the fridge to pull out a tub of ice-cream. "Anybody want some?"  
  
"Crystal, we're at the snow and you're eating ice-cream?" Tala asked.  
  
"Yeah, why not?" she responded digging some up into a bowl.  
  
We all rolled our eyes and after an hour or so, everybody but Crystal had showered and changed.  
  
"Are you planning on changing?" Mariah asked her.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah okay" she said before disappearing into the bathroom and coming out 10minutes later dressed in black pants and a pink long sleeved top.  
  
"That was fast" Rei commented. "Mariah took half and hour"  
  
"Isn't dinner starting soon?" Crystal asked after shrugging at Rei's comment.  
  
"What? Are you hungry again?" I asked her in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah" she answered.  
  
"Did you just eat two bowls of ice-cream?" I said.  
  
"So? What's that got to do with anything? I'm still hungry" she responded.  
  
"Well let's go down to the dining hall then" Tala suggested.  
  
Sorry this chapter is short too. Ummmz, keep the reviews coming please! 


	28. Chapter 28: Cookies and ghost stories

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 28: Cookies and ghost stories  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"The food was pretty good" I said after dinner had finished and we were walking back to the cabin.  
  
"The teacher said that lights out is at 10pm" Tala said.  
  
"So what do you want to do until then?" Rei asked.  
  
"I have a craving for cookies" I spoke up.  
  
"Are you serious Crystal? We just had dinner" Kai exclaimed.  
  
"So? I want cookies" I responded.  
  
"Are you always hungry?" Mariah questioned.  
  
"Sometimes" I answered after a moment of thought.  
  
When we got back to the cabin, I dug through the cupboards for the ingredients and began baking while the others watched t.v. I soon finished and the others drifted into the kitchen, drawn by the smell of the cookies baking.  
  
"Mmm, something smells good" Rei said as he peeked in the oven.  
  
"I didn't know you could cook" Tala remarked as he made a move to open up the oven.  
  
"Oi" I said and slapped his hand away. "No touching. They're not ready yet"  
  
"Aww" he said making a face. "When are they going to be ready?"  
  
"In" I checked the clock. "10 minutes"  
  
"Oh okay then. You cab be sure we'll be back then" Rei said warningly before he and Tala left.  
  
Exactly ten minutes later, Tala, Rei and Mariah came back into the kitchen.  
  
"You said they'd be ready now" Tala reminded me.  
  
"Yes, I know. They're ready" I said and took the tray out of the oven.  
  
"Yay!" Mariah said happily.  
  
"I wouldn't eat them just yet" I warned her as her hand hovered over the tray.  
  
"Why not?" she asked pausing.  
  
"They'll burn your tongue" I answered.  
  
Just then, Kai entered the kitchen and made a beeline for the cookies. Before anybody could say a word, his arm shot out and scooped up a cookie.  
  
"Umm, Kai?" I said.  
  
"Hmm, what?" he asked as he shoved the cookie into his mouth. For a moment his face froze before he dived for the water jug.  
  
"Yeah, they just came out of the oven" I continued.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me before?" he accused me.  
  
"Because you didn't give me a chance" I replied.  
  
"My taste buds are burnt. I won't be able to taste anything for a few days" he moaned.  
  
"Serves you right" Mariah said.  
  
"Shut up" he muttered before going into the bedroom.  
  
"Can we eat them yet?" Rei asked for the tenth time five minutes later.  
  
"Yeah, but just hang on a sec. You all go ahead into the bedroom. I'll serve them up with milk" I responded to him as I rooted through the fridge for the milk and they all left the kitchen.  
  
I found a tray in a cupboard under the oven and lifted the cookies onto a plate before filling five glasses with milk and setting them on the tray as well.  
  
Balancing the load carefully, I walked towards the bedroom and pushed the door open with my foot.  
  
"About time" Tala said as he stood up to help me set the load down onto the bedside table.  
  
"Aren't you going to have a cookie Kai?" I teased him after everybody had grabbed one.  
  
"No" he responded sitting on his bed.  
  
"Aww why not? Don't you trust my cooking?" I asked him picking up a glass of milk. "At least have a glass of milk then"  
  
"Thanks" he muttered as accepted the glass.  
  
"Cookie?" I offered him.  
  
"I don't see the point. I probably won't be able to taste it" he grumbled but took one anyway.  
  
"So what do you want to do till light out?" Rei asked everybody when the food was finished.  
  
"Let's tell ghost stories" Tala suggested.  
  
"Please can we not?" Mariah asked.  
  
"Why not?" I questioned.  
  
"You're not afraid, are you Mariah?" Tala said.  
  
"Of course not" she replied tossing her hair over her shoulder definitely.  
  
"Well then, I'm sure you won't mind if we begin" Kai said.  
  
"Everybody get comfortable." Tala instructed. "I'll go first"  
  
Rei and Mariah curled up together on the rug next to Kai's double bed and Tala sat next to Mariah. I was sitting on the bed so I shifted over until I was close to Kai who was now leaning against the wall behind his bed.  
  
"Can't you sit in your own bed?" he grumbled with a scowl.  
  
"Nope. You should feel honored that I want to sit next to you" I replied as I pulled the blanket up to cover my knees.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"If everybody's ready I'll begin then" Tala said clearing his throat. "This is a story I heard a few years ago. There was a once a girl who moved into a new town. When she began at her new school she was asked out by the football captain"  
  
Rolling my eyes I leaned against the wall, ignoring Crystal who was wriggling apparently as bored as I was. I tuned out for a while and focused on the growing terrified expression on Mariah's face.  
  
"The darkness cloaked the figure coming up from behind her," Tala said and Mariah bit her lip, her eyes flicking to the window.  
  
"An arm holding a butcher's knife was slowly raised up behind her when she didn't turn around" Tala continued and Mariah's eyes widened as she sat upright and her hand tightened around Rei's.  
  
Oh yeah, any second now....  
  
"And then the knife slashed through the air with a whoosh" Tala said softly, then "BOO!" he cried out giving Mariah a light push. She jumped half a meter into the air before leaping in Rei's arms and burying her head in his chest.  
  
"REI!" she wailed. "Don't let him get me! I don't want to die!"  
  
"Shhh, Mariah, its okay. Nobody's going to get you. It was Tala" Rei assured her patting her soothingly on the back.  
  
"Huh?" she replied confused looking up into his face.  
  
"Tala that wasn't very nice" Crystal told him with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.  
  
"Sorry Mariah. I just couldn't help myself" Tala apologized with a sheepish grin.  
  
"Well next time help yourself" Mariah snapped as she turned to face him and slapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Hey" Tala complained rubbing the spot where Mariah's slap had landed.  
  
"Man, that what you should've expected" I told him. "Don't be a wuss. It can't have hurt that much"  
  
"Would you like me to slap you to see how much it would hurt you Kai?" Mariah asked me.  
  
"No it's okay" I replied.  
  
"Lights out" a voice called out after we heard a knock on the door.  
  
"Well, good night people" Tala said before exiting the room.  
  
"I better not get nightmares. If I do I'll kick Tala's ass" Mariah grumbled she and Rei stood up.  
  
"Don't worry Mariah. If you do I'm sure Rei would comfort you in the middle of the night" Crystal commented cheekily.  
  
"Crystal" Rei said warningly.  
  
"What? It's true isn't it? You'd comfort your girlfriend right?" she responded.  
  
"Goodnight" he stated before leading Mariah out of the room.  
  
"Pretty amusing huh?" she remarked.  
  
"Yeah" I agreed. "Umm, aren't you going to go sleep in your bed?" I asked her when she made no move to get out of my bed.  
  
"Huh? Oh right" she said before getting out and snuggling up in her own bed.  
  
"Night Kai-kun" she said as she reached under her blankets to retrieve Fuzzi Wuzzi. "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite"  
  
"Whatever" I mumbled before turning off the light.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
I blinked in the morning sunlight and rubbed my eyes. Need more sleep I thought absently.  
  
So what'd you think? Remember to review okay? Thanks to ones from the previous chapter. I apologize once again for the short chappie. I promise that the next one is really long. 


	29. Chapter 29: Ski partners

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 29: Skiing partners  
  
I rolled over in my bed onto my side and propped myself up with my elbows.  
  
What time was it? I wondered and grabbed my phone on the bedside table to check.  
  
7am. The teachers expected us to be at the dining hall for breakfast at 8 I thought absently.  
  
A rustle on the other side of the room caught my attention.  
  
Crystal was currently sleeping on the edge of her bed and seemed as though she was about to tip over. Her blanket lay twisted around her body and an arm was lazily wrapped around Fuzzi-Wuzzi. Then she rolled over some more and THUD. She fell onto the floor, blankets and all.  
  
It seemed to take several minutes for her to recover but when she finally did, she sat up with a slightly confused look on her face.  
  
"Kai-kun?" she said as she spotted me sitting up in my bed watching her. "Why am I on the floor?"  
  
"You fell off your bed" I replied rolling my eyes at her.  
  
"Oh" she responded and remained sitting there gazing at the wall.  
  
"Err, do you plan on getting off the floor anytime soon?" I queried after a few moments.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah I probably should" she said picking herself and her covers off the floor. "Do you know what time we're supposed to be up?"  
  
"Yeah 8" I answered.  
  
"Mmm, maybe Ill go back to sleep for a little while" she said as she arranged her covers back on the bed and lay down.  
  
"Well it's not my fault if you oversleep" I muttered deciding to get up.  
  
Crystal's response was a pillow sailing through the air and hitting me squarely on the chest.  
  
"Breakfast wasn't too shabby huh?" Crystal said with a sigh after we had eaten.  
  
"I can't believe you ate 3 servings of pancakes, 2 slices of toast with nutella, a glass of hot chocolate and Coco-pops" Rei said in disbelief as we trudged through the snow towards the bunny slopes.  
  
"Don't forget the strawberries" Crystal said. "I wonder if I have to go skiing on the bunny slope"  
  
"The teachers said those who already knew how to ski can go on the more difficult courses" I said vaguely recalling the information we were given.  
  
"Oh good" Crystal commented when the bunny slope came into view and students were gathered at the base of it.  
  
"Okay students, listen up" Ms. Carmel called out and everybody fell silent. "The students who don't know how to ski will be doing a beginners course on the bunny slope. Those are more experienced will be given the opportunity to ski on the other mountains. Today will be confined to skiing only and tomorrow there will be ice-skating and snowboarding as well as skiing. Now could the beginners please assemble to my left, next to Mr. Short and the advanced skiers come to me"  
  
"I suppose we'll be seeing you guys later at lunch" Tala said.  
  
"Yeah, hope you guys have fun" Rei added.  
  
"See ya" Mariah called out before they headed towards Mr. Short.  
  
"Now, since you are all fairly advanced skiers, I would assume you know all about the equipment and safety measures. So you may ski at whichever mountain you want too. There is only one condition. You must all have ski partners and have to ski with them at all times. You are never to ski alone, is that understood?" she explained to us before continuing when we all nodded in understanding. "Alright then. Here are your passes for renting equipment and the lift. Lunch will begin at 1.00 so I expect to see you all in the dining hall then since attendance will be taken"  
  
I grabbed one of the passes which were coming around and then turned around when I felt a tug on my sleeve.  
  
"What?" I asked already knowing it was Crystal.  
  
"Wanna be my ski partner?" she said turning her eyes on me.  
  
"No" I stated before glancing around at the other skiers in the advance group.  
  
"Aww Kai-kun, pretty please?" she asked me again.  
  
"I said no, okay" I snapped at her.  
  
"Oh okay then" she said finally before turning the other way to look for a partner.  
  
There's no need for you to feel guilty for not being her partner I told myself as I scanned the crowd. It seemed that most people had already paired up I realized.  
  
I felt a tug on my sleeve again, although this time it was rougher.  
  
"I told I didn't want to be your partner" I said irritably as I turned to face who I thought was Crystal. Instead, it turned out to be Mia. I groaned inwardly. Great, just great.  
  
"Hey sexy. How about pairing up with me and going skiing?" she offered gripping my hand.  
  
Oh crap.  
  
"I'm sorry Mia, but as much as I'd like to I've already got a partner" I responded prying my hand out of her grip.  
  
"Oh really?" she asked suspiciously. "Where is your partner then?"  
  
"Err" I mumbled casting my eye around frantically before it landed on Crystal who was talking to Jade and Zack. "My partner's Crystal" I quickly strode towards them with Mia still following me much to my annoyance.  
  
"Ready to go partner?" I said when I stood next to Crystal.  
  
"Excuse me?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "I'm sorry if I misunderstood but didn't you only tell me moments ago that you didn't want to be my partner?"  
  
"Crystal, I was only joking" I said gritting my teeth knowing that Crystal knew fully well that Mia was toddling along behind me and would surely want to me my partner.  
  
"Oh really? Is that so? You know I was actually going to team up with Jade and Zack. I'm sure that Ms. Carmel wouldn't mind a group of three. After all, the more the merrier" she commented lightly, her features lighting up with amusement.  
  
"Crystal" I said looking at her straight in the eye.  
  
"Ha, got you did I?" she said. "Now who's joking?"  
  
I sighed with relief.  
  
"Sorry Mia, but I'm sure that you'll be able to find a partner" Crystal said to her sweetly.  
  
"Hmph" Mia huffed before storming off as fast as possible through the snow.  
  
"Hey, wait up!" I called out after Crystal when I saw her heading towards one of the mountains.  
  
"What?" she said coming to a halt in front of the lifts.  
  
"We're ski partners right?" I asked her hating the fact that I sounded so needy.  
  
"I suppose so" she stated shortly as she hired out a pair of skis.  
  
"You're not mad at me, are you?" I asked her.  
  
"Well I have every right to be don't I? At first you don't want to be my partner but when you can't find one and Mia chases after you to be her partner, you come back to me and expect me to save your ass?" she said, annoyance clearly showing in her eyes now.  
  
I shrugged in response.  
  
"I suppose I can't expect anything more from you Kai-kun" she said with a sigh. "I certainly don't expect an apology from you anyway"  
  
After hiring out skis for myself, Crystal and I got onto a lift and arrived at the top. I glanced at her before she shrugged and took off down the hill at break neck speed. I soon followed and surprisingly found it difficult to catch up to her. She was extremely good contrary to whatever she said. She wove in and out of the trees and rocks smoothly and maneuvered her way to the base with ease.  
  
When I reached the bottom, she was waiting there with her skis propped up next to her.  
  
"Took you long enough" she teased.  
  
"I didn't expect you to be so good" I said in reply.  
  
"Yeah well, I used to go every winter with my father" she answered before walking back towards the lift.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
I blinked in the morning sunlight and rubbed my eyes. Need more sleep I thought absently.  
  
"Okay students, today, you are allowed to ice-skate and snowboard as well as ski. Now, please sign yourself up on these sheets so that we are able to monitor your whereabouts." Ms. Carmel said the nest morning.  
  
"Let's go ice-skating Kai-kun" I said moving towards the sign up sheets. I looked behind my shoulder to see Kai following me reluctantly.  
  
"What are the others doing?" he asked.  
  
"They're going to ski again since they haven't been before" I replied writing my name and Kai's on the ice skating sheet. "Come on, it starts in 10minutes"  
  
"So have you been ice skating before?" I asked Kai when we were pulling on the skates.  
  
"No" he said, clicking his in place.  
  
"I suppose I'll teach you then?" I told him.  
  
"Isn't there an instructor?" he said glancing around.  
  
"Not till after lunch" I explained to him. "And we're going skiing then, remember?"  
  
"Right" he muttered.  
  
"Okay, so come on. Have you roller bladed before? If you have you'll pick this up fast. There's not much difference" I asked him.  
  
"I've only rollerbladed a few times before" he said before hesitantly stepping onto the ice.  
  
"Stay clear of the water for now" I advised him. "You might want to keep your knees slightly bent and lean forward a bit. Do not lean backwards or you'll end up with a wet ass"  
  
"Okay" he said and did what I had advised.  
  
It wasn't too long till he was doing wobbly loops of the lake with me skating around him in circles.  
  
"Ahh" he called out as he lost his balance. I flew towards him and managed to grab a hold of his arm before he hit the ice.  
  
"Come on. Let's pick up the pace" I said to him and took his hand into mine.  
  
"Umm, Crystal? I really don't want to-" he began but I took off across the ice with his in tow.  
  
Thump.  
  
I turned around in surprise to see Kai sitting on the ice looking very sorry for himself. Giggling, I gave his arm a light tug and he promptly stood up.  
  
"Not a word" he grumbled dusting himself off.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
The next few days passed quickly and on the second last day of the excursion, I was suddenly awakened with a soft shake in the morning.  
  
"Want sleep" I mumbled rolling over and taking the shaker over with me.  
  
"Oi, Kai-kun wake up" the shaker said.  
  
"Huh?" I responded still half asleep.  
  
"Don't make me throw water on you" it warned.  
  
"Okay, I'm up, I'm up" I muttered sitting up and rubbing my eyes.  
  
Once I was nearly awake, it took my eyes a few moments before they adjusted to the darkness. Sitting in front of my at the end of my bed was Crystal, clad in her pale purple pajama pants and matching top.  
  
"What's the time?" I asked groggily.  
  
"6am" she answered.  
  
"Well then why are you up? More importantly why did you feel compelled to wake me up?" I inquired gathering my thoughts together.  
  
"I want to go skiing" she replied simply.  
  
"What? At this time? It's freaking 6am if you haven't noticed" I said in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah, I know that. I was the one who told you the time" she responded. "Anyway, I want to get out early today"  
  
"Well I don't. I'm going back to sleep" I said and laid back down.  
  
"Kai-kun" she said. "Please? I really want to go skiing now"  
  
"No. It's too early, the sun has only started to rise" I grumbled.  
  
"Please, please, please Kai-kun? Just this one favor for me?" she continued.  
  
"No means no Crystal" I snapped.  
  
"Kai-kun, please?" she said quietly.  
  
"What part of no don't you understand?" I said scowling now becoming seriously pissed. "If you want to go skiing that badly, go by yourself"  
  
I buried my head in my pillow to drown out any more of Crystal's pleading. It must've worked since I soon fell asleep within minutes.  
  
Several hours later I woke up and when I checked my phone it read 7.30.  
  
Better get up I thought and began to get ready.  
  
"Isn't Crystal ready yet?" Tala inquired when we were all standing in the living room ready to go off the breakfast.  
  
"Don't think so. Hang on, I'll go check" Rei volunteered and went to knock on the bedroom and bathroom door. "Nope" he said with a shake of his head.  
  
"Guys" Mariah said rolling her eyes. "I'll go in and check for myself"  
  
After disappearing into the bedrooms and bathrooms she reappeared, this time with a worried expression on her face.  
  
"She's not here" she said.  
  
"She probably went down to breakfast early" I suggested checking my watch. Breakfast was going to start soon.  
  
"Was she in the room when you woke up?" Mariah questioned.  
  
"No" I answered.  
  
"Where could she be?" Mariah said frowning.  
  
"Knowing Crystal she's probably down at breakfast eating pancakes right now" Rei reassured her.  
  
"Probably" Mariah agreed after some hesitation.  
  
After breakfast was over, there was still no sign of Crystal.  
  
"Where could she have gone to?" Mariah began to worry again.  
  
"Let's ask some of the other people" Tala suggested.  
  
"What's going on over there?" I asked when I saw a large crowd gathering around at the base of a mountain.  
  
"Let's go check it out" Rei said obviously hoping that it would stop Mariah worrying too much.  
  
When we arrived there we were too far from the front to see what was going on.  
  
"I can't see" I said knowing that if I couldn't see nobody else could since I was the tallest out of all of them.  
  
"Hey, Connor, do you know what's going on?" Rei asked a guy standing near us.  
  
"I head that there was an avalanche and that there's the possibility that a person got caught in it" he answered.  
  
"Do they know who it is?" Tala asked.  
  
"Nope, not yet" Connor said before retuning to his conversation with a friend.  
  
"Shit" I swore.  
  
"What? Kai what's wrong?" Mariah asked, fear creeping into her voice.  
  
"There's the chance that" I began before sighing. "There's a chance that it might be Crystal up there"  
  
"What? Why the hell would Crystal be up there?" Tala asked me confused.  
  
I explained what had happened early this morning to them and Mariah's hand flew to her mouth.  
  
"Oh my god" she whispered.  
  
"Guys, it might not even be her. I mean like out of all the mountains here, what are the odds of her coming to ski here?" Rei stated logically.  
  
"Actually, very good" I said remembering.  
  
Flashback  
  
"It's so pretty up here" Crystal commented on the fourth day of the trip when we reached the top of a mountain. "Out of all the mountains here, this is definitely my favorite"  
  
End of Flashback  
  
"What?" Mariah shrieked becoming seriously distressed. "Kai, how could you allow her to go skiing by herself, especially so early in the morning? Even though you guys are experienced skiers, I'm sure Ms. Carmel would've made you have ski partners too"  
  
I stared at the snow covered ground.  
  
"Mariah, calm down" Rei advised her taking her up in his arms.  
  
"How can I calm down when Crystal is stuck in an avalanche?" Mariah cried out.  
  
"It might not be her" Tala reminded Mariah.  
  
How could I have let this happen? I thought in my head. I should've gone with her no matter what. Mariah was right. This was all my fault. If only I had agreed to go skiing with her. And to think I was the one who told her that if she wanted to go skiing that badly to go by herself.  
  
"Hey guys. Mariah, what's wrong?" a very familiar voice asked.  
  
Tala, Rei, Mariah and I all turned around simultaneously to face the speaker.  
  
Crystal.  
  
There you go. A very nice long chapter. I've decided to try and make the chapters as long as possible so that I won't have to have so many. So please remember to review and tell me what you think. 


	30. Chapter 30: When nightmares come aknocki...

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 30: When nightmares come a-knocking  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"Crystal" Mariah yelped joyfully and threw herself into my arms.  
  
"Hey Mariah, I need to breath" I gasped.  
  
"Oh right, sorry" she said releasing her hold on me. "Where were you? We were all so worried. We thought that you had gotten trapped in the avalanche"  
  
"Sorry if I caused you guys to worry. I went skiing" I answered.  
  
"You went by yourself?" Tala said disapprovingly.  
  
"Of course not. She went with me" a voice piped up and we all turned to face Zack.  
  
"Come on guys, I'm not that stupid. Even though I'm an experienced skier, I know better than to go skiing by myself" I said.  
  
"How come you weren't at breakfast then?" Rei questioned.  
  
"Oh, Zack and I kinda forgot about it. By the time we came back down it was already over" I explained.  
  
"So what happened after Kai went back to sleep earlier?" Tala asked.  
  
"Well I couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to go for a walk and happened to bump into Zack here. We both wanted to go skiing so we did" I said.  
  
"Well next time tell us where you're going before you leave" Rei instructed.  
  
"Yes dad" I teased in response.  
  
Later that night...  
  
I trailed my fingers along the wall, feeling my way through the pitch black corridor. There must be a way out I thought. Suddenly, I saw a pinprick of light at the end. I quickened my pace and as I drew nearer, I could see a figure illuminated by the light, shadows dancing around on the floor.  
  
The figure seemed strangely familiar and as I approached it dawned on me.  
  
Mum.  
  
"Mum!" I called out now breaking into a sprint.  
  
"Akina?" she returned uncertainly.  
  
"Mum" I said, reaching my arm out towards her. Suddenly, a black ominous shadow leered out of the darkness, swallowing her up and she dissolved before my eyes.  
  
"Mum?" I whispered, falling down onto my knees.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Mum, please don't leave me" Crystal said softly turning in her sleep.  
  
Suddenly, her body jerked upright into a sitting position. She remained this way for a few minutes staring blankly at the wall.  
  
Huh? I thought in confusion as my mind processed this fact.  
  
"Uhh Crystal?" I asked.  
  
No response.  
  
"Crystal?" I tried again. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Huh?" was her reply as she finally acknowledged me.  
  
"I asked if you were okay" I responded.  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay" she said absently looking down at her hands.  
  
"How come you're not sleeping?" I questioned her.  
  
"Can't sleep" she answered tonelessly.  
  
I frowned in the darkness. There was something weird about Crystal. She was never this...lifeless?  
  
"Why not?" I asked figuring it had something to do with what I had just witnessed.  
  
"Nightmares" she mumbled looking out the window avoiding my eyes.  
  
"Nightmares? About what?" I probed her.  
  
"My mum" she replied softly, not meeting my glance once.  
  
"Oh" I said not knowing what to say to her.  
  
"Err, do you plan on going back to sleep anytime soon?" I inquired.  
  
"Probably not. Don't think I'll be able to sleep any more tonight" she replied in a toneless voice. "Usually can't sleep after nightmares. Don't feel safe enough to."  
  
Sighing with reluctance I got put of my bed and made my way over to hers.  
  
"Crystal, you should sleep" I insisted sitting down next to her.  
  
"Told you, can't" she mumbled.  
  
"Why not?" I asked her.  
  
"I just can't okay?" she snapped.  
  
After several minutes filled with an awkward silence, I rolled my eyes and gently picked her up off from her bed and laid her down on mine.  
  
"There" I said and was about to go over to her bed when she tugged at my arm.  
  
"Kai" she said looking up at me before looking back down. "Stay with me for just a little while okay?"  
  
I paused for a moment to think before grudgingly sitting down next to her.  
  
"Thanks" she said softly and laid back down while I remained up.  
  
"Aren't you gonna lie down too?" she enquired after a while. "Or are you just going to sit like that for the whole night?"  
  
"Why would it bother you if sit like this for the entire night?" I shot back.  
  
"I was just asking. You don't have to be so defensive all the time Kai-kun" she said blinking in surprise.  
  
"I am not defensive" I protested.  
  
"Point proven" she said lightly. "Anyway, if you're not mature enough to sleep in the same bed as me then go and sleep in my bed or I can go back to my bed. Besides, it's not like I bite or anything"  
  
"I am mature. It's just that.." I trailed off trying to find the right words.  
  
"It's just that you what?" she teased.  
  
"You're the immature one here, not me" I finally said in response.  
  
"Whatever" she said and poked her tongue out at me.  
  
Rolling my eyes at her I laid down carefully.  
  
"I'm not fragile you know" she commented.  
  
"You don't need to tell me that" I replied seriously regretting my decisions to lie down.  
  
"You're regretting lying down right?" she speculated.  
  
Damn, how the hell did she do that?  
  
"So what if I am?" I retorted sitting back up.  
  
"Well if you are then I'll return to my own bed." She said with a shrug and sat up as well.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous. You'll probably end up falling out of your bed again" I said and took a hold of her wrist.  
  
"So what if I do? Why would you care?" she said as she attempted to get out of my grip.  
  
"Just stay in my bed okay?" I said releasing my hold on her.  
  
"What if I don't want to" she said lightly.  
  
"Don't be such a brat Crystal" I said rolling my eyes.  
  
"Well at least I'm a cute brat" she added before lying back down. "Is it just me or is it cold in here?"  
  
"I think it's just you" I replied glancing over at her shivering figure. "How can you be cold, the heater's on"  
  
"I dunno" she answered.  
  
"Here" I said and covered her with the blanket.  
  
"Still cold Kai-kun" she complained wriggling around as I lay down again.  
  
"Well maybe if you stopped moving around so much you wouldn't be so cold" I grumbled pulling a bit of the blanket over myself.  
  
There was a pause as she lay still for a few minutes.  
  
"Nope, still cold" she confirmed.  
  
Even though I was lying on the other side of the bed I could still feel her shivering.  
  
"Well what do you want me to do about it?" I said irritably, turning to face the other way.  
  
I felt something soft brush against my leg and turned to see Crystal curling up against me.  
  
"What are you doing?" I snapped realizing that there was no room for me to move unless I wanted to fall onto the floor.  
  
"You're warm, I'm cold" she said as if it could be any more obvious.  
  
"Why does this seem so familiar?" I muttered thinking back to not so long ago.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Cold again?" I asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Of course not" Akina said indignantly. I stared at her. "Well maybe just a little" she finally admitted. She shifted over so that she was now next to me, then she dove under the covers.  
  
"What are you doing?" I said scowling.  
  
"I'm cold. You are warm. Your bed is warm. You do the math" she said rolling my eyes at me.  
  
"You can't come in" I protested. "I'm sleeping here"  
  
"No. You were sleeping here. You are now awake" she corrected and snuggled closer to me.  
  
"You are such a brat you know" I grumbled.  
  
End of Flashback  
  
Maybe I should just go and sleep in her bed for the night I mused. Nah, can't be stuffed I decided yawning.  
  
The sunlight streamed through the curtains, blinding me and I wondered why I hadn't closed them the night before. I rolled over to check the time but instead came face to face with Crystal.  
  
What the hell? Why was she in my bed? Memories of last night flashed in my head and I moaned. Stupid girl.  
  
"Kai-kun?" she murmured sleepily and I scowled.  
  
"Wake up" I told her.  
  
"But I don't want to" she mumbled and nestled her head into my chest.  
  
"Well I do" I said and made a move to sit up but was immediately stopped when Crystal promptly wrapped her arms around me. "Crystal, remove your hands from me now before I am forced to remove them myself"  
  
"Kai, are you always this grumpy in this morning?" she said her eyelids finally flickering open as she turned to look up at me.  
  
"No it's just you" I said in reply. "Now are you going to allow me out of this bed or not?"  
  
"Okay, okay" she said releasing me from her light hold.  
  
I got up and went to rummage through my bag for a clean shirt.  
  
"Kai?" Crystal asked.  
  
"Mmm?" I answered pulling out a white shirt.  
  
"Thanks" she said.  
  
"For what?" I asked turning around to face her.  
  
"For last night" she said softly turning to gaze intently at the blanket as though it was the most interesting thing in the world as I buttoned up my shirt.  
  
"It's okay" I assured her wondering why the hell I had done what I had done last night.  
  
Probably because you felt obliged to a voice in my head piped up. After all, it could've easily been Crystal who was trapped in the avalanche. Guilt from not going with her or from not trying hard enough to convince her to not go. Yeah, that was it.  
  
"Crystal, you better get ready" Rei said after knocking on the door and entering.  
  
"Uhh Crystal? Isn't that Kai's bed?" Mariah added after sticking her head through the door to peer around the room.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah" Crystal responded climbing out of it.  
  
"Yeah, so why are you in there?" Rei asked confused.  
  
"Oh, I wanted the double so we traded" Crystal answered lightly.  
  
"Okay then" Mariah said. "Well, have you both finished packing yet? We're leaving two hours after breakfast"  
  
"Yeah just about" I said.  
  
"Are you guys ready yet?" Crystal asked them.  
  
"Nearly. Just got a tiny little bit of packing left which I'll do after breakfast" Mariah replied.  
  
"More like practically all of your packing is left" Rei said as they left the room. There was a smack and then an 'oww' sounded after the door closed.  
  
"Ready to go down?" I asked Crystal after several minutes.  
  
"Yeah, okay" she said and slipped her hand into mine. "I have a craving for waffles"  
  
Okay, so that's another nice long chapter for you. Hope you liked it. If you found it boring, I've got something else up my sleeve...and something will eventually happen between Kai and Crystal/Akina for those who are wondering..I won't tell you when though.. 


	31. Chapter 31: Honki boy

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 31: Honki boy  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Here I was, once again, sitting on the bus, listening to my M.D, with Crystal's head resting lightly on my shoulder. But this time, she wasn't even asleep. She was just too damn lazy to keep her head up. I scowled in annoyance and glared at her.  
  
"What? Don't glare at me like that Kai-kun" she said from her window seat when she noticed me.  
  
"Why not?" I shot back.  
  
"Because it's not very nice. If I was somebody else who didn't know you, I'd be very uncomfortable" she answered.  
  
"I couldn't care less" I snapped and turned to face the other way.  
  
"Do you even realize that you're grumpier than usual today Kai-kun?" she remarked.  
  
"That's because I didn't get much sleep last night" I responded not bothering to face her.  
  
"Well I for one didn't ask you to comfort me" she retorted.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
An uneasy silence settled over us but it wasn't too long until curiosity got the better of me.  
  
"So why did you feel the need to comfort me last night Kai-kun?" I asked him hesitantly.  
  
"I felt obliged to" he simply said.  
  
He felt obliged to? What the hell did that mean? I knew the definition of the word, but why would he use it in that context? Was it because his father pressured him into knowing me?  
  
It was then that question which I had been meaning to ask him for a while now popped up again.  
  
"Kai?" I began uncertainly. "Are we friends?"  
  
"No" he responded before turning to talk to Tala who had just woken up.  
  
Just as I had thought, we weren't friends. Well, he didn't consider us to be. What else did you expect him to say? A voice in my head spoke up. The only reason why he even bothers with you is because of our fathers. I frowned as I pondered that thought. But, even if his father made him be 'friends' with me, would that necessarily mean that he felt like he had to comfort me last night? And what about last time at his house? The morning after he had realized who my father was, I could've sworn his arms had been wrapped around me. But by the time I had fully awakened, they weren't there and I had dismissed it as a figment of my imagination.  
  
Why do you care anyway? The voice in my head piped up again. It's not like Kai's your only friend. True, I answered back. But his behavior was quite puzzling. Oh well, I mused and pushed the thought away.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Dude, I'm so glad that we didn't have to go to school the day after the trip" Tala commented. "Cause, I like flopped onto my bed when I got home and didn't get until the next day."  
  
"Well not everybody's like you Tala" Rei said. "Anyway, has anybody seen Mariah?"  
  
"She's probably late. She normally is isn't she?" I replied.  
  
"Hey guys" Crystal said slipping into the seat next to Tala's. "I just saw Mariah on the way here. She should be along now any minute"  
  
"Good. For a moment I thought she wasn't going to come today" Rei said.  
  
"Aww thanks Rei. You're so sweet. It's nice to know you care about me so much" Mariah said appearing next to Rei's chair and awarding his 'sweetness' with a peck on the cheek.  
  
"Good morning students" Ms. Carmel said entering the room and closing the door after her. "I'm pleased to inform you that we have an exchange student who'll be staying with us for two weeks. I'd like you to now all welcome him"  
  
She went towards the door and opened it, revealing a guy about the same age as us.  
  
"Sorry, but I didn't catch your name before" Ms. Carmel said to him.  
  
"I'm Adam. Adam Lang" he said, his eyes flickering about the room.  
  
"Well Adam, it's a pleasure to have you here. Why don't you tell the class about yourself?" Ms. Carmel suggested.  
  
"Well I'm 17 and from Hong Kong" he began.  
  
I snorted. Well that much was obvious. He was your typical Honki boy, what with his hair dyed chestnut brown with blonde streaks running through it. From where I was sitting, I estimated that he was as tall as me, but definitely not any taller. His eyes were pitch black and were constantly darting around the room, taking in everything. He wasn't dressed in the school uniform but in dark blue jeans, worn at the knees and a dark purple shirt.  
  
I tuned out the rest of his intro and heard some whispering to my left. Turning my head slightly I listened to some girls' conversation.  
  
"Oh my god!"  
  
"He is so hot!"  
  
"Do you think he's single?"  
  
"Not with a body like that"  
  
"Who knows? Maybe he broke up with whoever he was with before is eyes coming?"  
  
"Perhaps. One could only hope so"  
  
"It's such a pity he's only staying two weeks"  
  
"I wonder where he's staying at?"  
  
"Do you think he needs a place to stay?"  
  
"It's be so cool if he stayed at my place"  
  
"Ask him"  
  
"What, if he'd like to stay at my place?"  
  
"No you idiot. Ask him where he's staying"  
  
"Wouldn't I sound desperate?"  
  
"Not if you phrase it right"  
  
At her friends' encouragement, the girl tentatively raised her arm up.  
  
"Yes?" Ms. Carmel asked her.  
  
"Umm, I was just wondering Adam, where you were staying?" she inquired as politely as she could while her friends giggled behind her.  
  
"Well I'm currently staying at the Tokyo hotel" he answered, his eyes sweeping over the group of girls.  
  
"Okay, thanks" she said turning back to her friends to once again begin their whispered conversation.  
  
I rolled my eyes. Please. Could they be any more obvious?  
  
"They obviously haven't head of subtleness" Crystal muttered under her breath when the bell rang and we all exited the classroom.  
  
"Well, I suppose you can't really blame them. I mean like he is really hot" Mariah added.  
  
"Why thank you" a masculine voice behind us said.  
  
We stopped in our tracks to turn around and face the speaker.  
  
It was that stupid Honki guy.  
  
"Ahem" Rei said coughing.  
  
"Don't worry I still love ya Rei. You're the only guy for me" Mariah assured him.  
  
"So surprised to see me?" he said directing this remark to the person behind me.  
  
I turned around slightly to see that it was Crystal he had directed the comment to.  
  
What the hell?  
  
"Not really" she said shrugging and proceeded to walk towards chem. "You said we'd see each other again."  
  
So what'd you think? Please remember to review and tell me what you think. Thanks to all those who reviewed. Sorry that this is a really short chapter... 


	32. Chapter 32: Fooling around

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 32: Fooling around  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"Uhh, Crystal? Do you know Adam?" Tala asked me when we sat down at lunch on the stone steps in front of the school.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah I do" I said looking up from my lunch.  
  
"How?" Mariah impatiently asked.  
  
"From Hong Kong" I answered.  
  
"What did you two go to school together?" Rei pressed her.  
  
"Yeah" I replied.  
  
"Oh, well what are the chances that his school sends him on an exchange to our school?" Kai remarked.  
  
"Quite good in fact since I was the one who suggested the exchange" Adam spoke up from behind us.  
  
"Does he have to do that?" Kai grumbled.  
  
"So Mei-Lin, are you going to intro me to your friends or what?" he probed me.  
  
"Okay, okay" I said rolling my eyes and gesturing to the rest of them. "This is Tala, Rei, Mariah and Kai"  
  
"Nice to meet you all" he said lazily and sat down next to me. "What have you been up to since I saw you last?"  
  
"Oh not much. What about yourself?" I answered politely.  
  
"Things haven't really changed much since you left" he said dismissively. "The soccer team's been doing well, although not as well as they used to do when you were captain"  
  
"You were captain of the soccer team?" Kai asked me.  
  
"Yeah I was" I said lightly. "Hang on, I'll be right back. I left my chupa chup in my locker"  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Adam turned his head to watch Crystal's retreating figure.  
  
"So you know Crystal from school in Hong Kong?" Mariah inquired.  
  
"Yeah, you could say that" he replied with a smirk.  
  
"Or you could say what?" I responded.  
  
"Well, we actually went out for a while just before she left you know" he said smugly. "I see she has become even hotter since then."  
  
"So you guys went out? That's funny, Crystal never mentioned anything about you" Rei spoke up.  
  
"Yeah, well knowing her, she probably wouldn't unless you asked her" Adam said.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"Hey Mei-Lin! Wait up" Adam called out at the end of the day as he jogged towards me in car park.  
  
"Hey" I said when he caught up.  
  
"So, you go by Crystal now?" he asked me.  
  
"Yeah" I answered before remembering, "Or sometimes I go by Akina"  
  
"But I see that you haven't changed much" he remarked and I shrugged at that. "So, have you given any thought about us since you left?"  
  
I wasn't surprised at his comment. Adam had always been a pretty blunt guy, always getting straight to the point.  
  
"Not particularly" I answered.  
  
"Oh. Well then I don't suppose you'd want to pick up where we left off then?" Adam asked with a wink.  
  
I regarded him for a moment. As far as I could tell, Adam hadn't changed since I had last seen him. And it was nice to see a familiar face from Hong Kong.  
  
"We'll see" I finally answered him when we reached my car.  
  
"Well think about it okay?" he responded before going off in the other direction.  
  
The wind whipped through my car as I wove through the cars. Should I go out with Adam again or not? The reason why I had broken it off with him in the first place was because of my move to Tokyo. So why not go out with him again? We had shared many good times together and been through a lot.  
  
"So, have you thought it over yet?" Adam approached me the next day at school.  
  
"Yes" I said slowly opening up my locker. Like I was going to make it easy for him.  
  
"And?" he asked hopefully. Nope, he hadn't changed a bit. He was still like a little kid when we were together.  
  
"Yes" I answered.  
  
"Yes?" he said in confusion.  
  
"Yes" I said laughing. "Yes I'll go out with you again"  
  
"Yes!" he said triumphantly. "She said yes, she said yes!" he sang as he walked towards homeroom.  
  
Shaking my head at his childishness, I followed him down the corridor to homeroom.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"She said yes, she said yes!" Adam called out when he walked into homeroom.  
  
"What the hell?" I muttered to Tala.  
  
"Don't ask me. I haven't got a clue" Tala replied.  
  
"She said yes" Adam finished sitting down next to me.  
  
I scowled. I so didn't like this guy.  
  
"Who said yes?" Tala finally asked.  
  
"Mei-Lin" Adam supplied.  
  
"Yes to what?" Rei asked joining us with Mariah.  
  
"To me" he said.  
  
Gee, like I hadn't figured that out.  
  
"To what, not who" I snapped in irritation.  
  
"Oh" Adam said in understanding. "I asked her out and she said yes. To me!"  
  
Would somebody please shut him up? Why the hell would Crystal go out with a guy like him?  
  
As the last bell for the day sounded throughout the school, students rushed out in streams as I wandered the halls. Why was I wandering the halls? Because of my stupid father. He was coming home tonight thus; there would be another 'family dinner.' Oh yeah, I just couldn't wait.  
  
Turning down a hallway, I decided to go to the library and get some homework done before going home. As I turned the corner, I spotted a very familiar Honki boy.  
  
A very familiar Honki boy whose hands were extremely busy with a girl.  
  
Oh god, did they have to do this here? In the corridors at school, which was a public place? I would've thought that Crystal had more class than that. I paused at the corner as something hit me.  
  
That girl wasn't Crystal.  
  
Now that I looked more closely, I could tell that this girl was definitely not Crystal. Although this girl was about the same height as her and her hair was black but the color of her hair had no natural shine like Crystal's. The girl had dyed her hair black and at the top, she had blonde roots. She wasn't as slim as Crystal either and had a bit of puppy fat at the hips.  
  
But the issue here was that Adam, who was going out with Crystal, was fooling around with another girl. My eyes narrowed as I glared at them before turning around again. That dirty ratbag. Of all people he was cheating on, he cheated on Crystal. And the girl he was fooling around with wasn't even half as pretty as she was. No, Adam probably hadn't gone for looks, he just wanted cheap thrills. He was so stupid that he was cheating on her at school, in plain sight for anybody to see. What a dickhead. Crystal would be so pissed off when she found out. And she was going to find out.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"Hiragazaki-sama" a voice called out and a poked my head out through my studio door.  
  
"Yes?" I answered.  
  
"There's somebody at the door for you" it replied.  
  
As I walked down the stairs, I wondered who it could be. Probably Mariah wanting to go shopping I reasoned.  
  
You can imagine what a surprise I got when I caught sight of Kai sitting on the lounge.  
  
"Kai" I said in surprise. "Of all people, I didn't expect you to be here"  
  
"Yeah, well things happen which are unexpected" he commented.  
  
I frowned in confusion. What was that remark about?  
  
"I suppose you want to know why I'm here?" he said.  
  
"I don't mind you showing up here" I said shrugging.  
  
"Well, just so that you know, this isn't just a social visit" he muttered shoving his hands into his pocket.  
  
"Really?" I asked sitting down next to him on the couch. "Okay then, why are you here?"  
  
"I saw something today that you might like to know about" he answered slowly.  
  
"What did you see today?" I questioned.  
  
"I saw-" he said and paused before continuing. "I saw Adam fooling around with another girl after school today"  
  
"What?" I asked vaguely confused. "Adam?"  
  
"Yes Adam" Kai confirmed.  
  
"Kai, you must've been mistaken. Adam would never do anything like that to me" I said.  
  
"Akina, I saw him with my own two eyes. He was cheating on you" Kai insisted.  
  
"No" I said. "I know Adam. He wouldn't cheat"  
  
"Listen to me!" Kai snapped. "He would cheat and he did"  
  
"I'm sorry Kai, but I don't think Adam would do something like that" I said quietly.  
  
"Akina" he began.  
  
"No Kai, please. You must've been mistaken" I said. "Anyway, why are you telling me this? If I recall correctly, you said weren't friends, remember?"  
  
"Fine. If you don't want to believe me, then don't." Kai stated before standing up and leaving.  
  
"No, it's not true. Adam wouldn't do that to me" I said to myself.  
  
*Sigh* Yeah, I know it's not as good as I thought it'd be but I suppose it'll have to do. Please don't forget to review. Sorry if this chapter is short and kinda rushed but the next chapter will be a bit longer and hopefully not as bad. 


	33. Chapter 33: Caught in the act

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 33: Caught in the act  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Stupid girl. She wouldn't listen to me I thought as I trudged up the stairs when I got home.  
  
"Kai, why weren't you at dinner?" my father said appearing in front of me.  
  
Shit. I didn't need this now. I thought for a moment before carefully answering.  
  
"I went to visit Hiragazaki Akina" I replied.  
  
"Fine. But next time if you're not coming home for dinner call your mother" he said. "Well I'm pleased to see how well you both seem to be getting along. You should therefore be pleased to know that she will be coming to stay with us tomorrow since her father will be away for an extended period"  
  
After my father had left, I went into my room and flopped onto my bed.  
  
How long would it be until Akina saw the truth? She was so blinded by him so it might take a while. Maybe I should talk to Mariah about this. Perhaps she might be able to provide some insight to this from the view point of a girl.  
  
Picking up my phone, I punched in Mariah's number and waited for her to pick up.  
  
"Hello?" a guy's voice said on the other line.  
  
Huh? I thought in confusion. I was pretty sure this was Mariah's number. Maybe I dialed the wrong number.  
  
But wait. The guy's voice was oddly familiar.  
  
"Rei?" I asked.  
  
"Kai?" he answered. "Did you want to speak to Mariah?"  
  
"Yeah. Is she around? It's kinda important" I said.  
  
"Okay, hang on a sec" Rei said before handing the phone over.  
  
"Mariah?" I asked when I heard the phone being picked up.  
  
"Kai? Is something wrong?" Mariah questioned.  
  
"Yeah. You know how Crystal's going out with Adam?" I confirmed.  
  
"Yeah, why?" she said confused.  
  
"Well," I said and launched into the story about what I had seen and what had happened at Crystal's.  
  
"Are you serious?" Mariah said when I had finished.  
  
"Yeah, unfortunately" I said. "So what do you think we should do?"  
  
"I'm not really sure. I can try to talk to her if you want. But if you can't do anything, I doubt that I can" Mariah replied.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" Adam said giving me a swift wink the next morning.  
  
"You seriously need new pick up lines Adam" I teased rolling my eyes at him and I assured myself that Kai was wrong. Adam would never hurt me intentionally. But still something tugged at me from the inside. Brushing the thought away, I turned my attention back to Adam.  
  
"You have wounded me deeply" Adam dramatized clutching at his heart. "I suppose you don't want this then" he continued whipping out a pale yellow flower from behind his back.  
  
"Keep it" I said with a shrug.  
  
"What? I thought girls loved flowers" Adam said in confusion.  
  
"Isn't that a little stereotype?" I responded.  
  
"So you don't want it?" he said holding it out.  
  
"Fine" I said and accepted it from his hand  
  
I sighed with weariness at the end of the day. It seemed that Kai had gone to Mariah and asked her to try and talk to me about Adam. I had politely turned her away. They didn't know Adam. I did.  
  
"Crystal?" Kai asked interrupting my thoughts.  
  
"This better not be about Adam again" I said wearily walking towards the car park.  
  
"Crystal-" he began.  
  
"No Kai. I don't want to hear it" I said picking up my pace before freezing.  
  
The sight that was in front of me caused me to step backwards.  
  
"No" I whispered, refusing to believe what I was seeing  
  
Adam stood with his back to me, with a girl backed against a car, his arms wrapped around her. Everything seemed to slow down when he leaned into her and whispered something in her ear which caused her to let out a shrill giggle. He tilted his head down towards her to capture her lips with his.  
  
My head spun for a moment before anger kicked in.  
  
In several swift steps, I had crossed to where Adam and the girl were standing and yanked him off her. The girl slumped down on the floor as I yanked Adam in such a way that he was now face to face with me.  
  
"Crystal?" he said in surprise.  
  
"Adam" I stated calmly even though I was boiling inside.  
  
His glance darted towards the girl slumped on the ground and I hid my scowl.  
  
"She'll be fine. She might have a bruise or two but she'll be fine." I said pleasantly. "But you on the other hand won't be so lucky"  
  
Adam whitened. He knew all too well what I was capable of.  
  
"Crystal?" Kai spoke up.  
  
Oops, I had forgotten that he was there. I whirled around maintaining my iron grip on Adam.  
  
"Yes Kai?" I asked him sweetly.  
  
He looked at me, then at Adam, then back to me.  
  
"Never mind. Do what you need to do" he finally said.  
  
"Thanks for the support" I teased before turning to glare at Adam. "Now, what shall I do with you?"  
  
"Hiwatari, help me!" Adam called out to Kai.  
  
"Dude, you're in this by yourself. You bought this upon yourself" Kai said with a smirk appearing on his features.  
  
"Hmm, it's a pity I don't carry a machete around with me." I thought aloud as I kept my hold on a squirming Adam.  
  
"I have a switch blade in my wallet" Kai offered digging it out of his pocket and tossing it to me.  
  
"Thanks" I said lightly as I caught it easily. "You know Adam, I've always wondered how long a person could last if millions of tiny cuts are made."  
  
Adam's eyes widened and I had trouble keeping the laughter in.  
  
"But you know what? That could be a bit messy. So I think I'll go with something more traditional. I think we should just street fight. It'll even give you a chance to defend yourself" I said.  
  
I loosened my grip on Adam and stepped back into fighting stance. This was going to be good.  
  
"Well come on," I beckoned to him. "Do your best"  
  
After some hesitation, Adam stepped awkwardly into fighting stance and threw a punch at me.  
  
I dodged it easily and threw a triple combo punch at him, each one of them landing on his face. He stumbled backwards into a car and tripped over.  
  
Really, this was absolutely pathetic, it was a joke. I jumped forwards, the adrenaline flowing through my veins and waited for his next move.  
  
He came at me again this time with a front kick and I blocked it with my arm and returned with a flying kick. I dropped to the ground and flicked my foot out, causing him to be swept cleanly to the ground with a thump.  
  
Jumping back up, I stepped over his body, planting my foot squarely on his chest.  
  
"Mei-Lin" he gasped. "Please stop. I give up"  
  
Rolling my eyes I backed off him.  
  
"Adam, you are really pathetic you know that?" I said smirking. "You can't even last 2mins against me"  
  
With that I walked away, leaving Adam still gasping for breath on the ground.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Crystal" I called out to her.  
  
"Yeah Kai?" she said slowly turning around.  
  
"Are you okay?" I asked her.  
  
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" she replied smiling. "I just kicked Adam's ass"  
  
"Oh, okay then" I said.  
  
"Has a room been prepared yet?" my father questioned mum that night at dinner.  
  
"Yes" she answered.  
  
"Which room?" he asked.  
  
"The one to the left of Kai's" mum responded.  
  
"Good. She'll be arriving shortly after dinner" my father remarked before leaving the table.  
  
"Who's coming?" I asked.  
  
"Hiragazaki Akina. Didn't your father tell you?" mum replied.  
  
"Oh right, he did. How long is she staying?" I said.  
  
"As long as she wants to. Her father's going away for an extended leave. So your father suggested she come and stay with us" mum said.  
  
"Why does she have to come stay with us?" I grumbled.  
  
"Because" mum explained patiently. "She'll be all alone when her father leaves. She'd be very lonely in that big house"  
  
After dinner I sat staring at my computer screen, my thoughts buzzing around dully in my head.  
  
I knew that Adam was a dickhead to begin with, but what he did to Akina....was absolutely unacceptable. He was such a bastard. I should've put him in his place the first day I had seen him fooling around with another girl.  
  
My hands clenched themselves into a fist. The girl he had been fooling around with today wasn't even the same girl as the one from the day before. And of all girls to cheat on, he cheated on Akina.  
  
"Kai, Akina-san is here" my mother announced when she entered my room not long after.  
  
Getting up from my desk, I followed her down the stairs and stood beside my father who was watching a limo come up the driveway.  
  
"Li, it's good to see you again" he greeted Mr. Hiragazaki when he stepped out of the limo.  
  
"Thank you so much for offering to accommodate my daughter" he responded as Akina stepped out of the limo and stood silently beside her father.  
  
"It's no trouble at all" my father assured him.  
  
"Well, I must be off" Mr. Hiragazaki said. "Now, take care of yourself Akina" he said to her before going off in the limo.  
  
"Hiragazaki-san, I hope that you find everything here to your liking. If you need anything at all, pleas don't hesitate to ask" my father stated smoothly before disappearing into the house.  
  
"Kai dear, why don't you show Akina her room?" my mum suggested.  
  
Shrugging I led the way up the stairs to the room to the left of mine.  
  
"Here" I said throwing the door open.  
  
"Thanks" she said softly before stepping inside.  
  
I frowned. Something was off.  
  
"Do you need anything?" I asked her.  
  
"No thanks. I'm fine" she replied unzipping her bag.  
  
"You didn't bring very much" I commented as I glanced at the sports bag she had bought.  
  
"I can always go back to my house to get anything" she said shrugging and pulled out several long wooden cases  
  
"What are those?" I asked her.  
  
"Take a look for yourself" she offered handing me one.  
  
Upon opening one, I discovered a slim, lightweight bamboo sword, its edges glinting.  
  
"Not bad" I remarked turning it over in my hands.  
  
"Open the rest for me will you?" she asked.  
  
I opened up the two remaining cases. One of which was a thin bamboo pole and the other revealed a gleaming sword set with pink stones set in its handle, the same one I had seen when I went to her house.  
  
"Where's your car?" I asked out of curiosity.  
  
"In my garage at home. Somebody will come by with it tomorrow so you don't have to worry about driving my anywhere" she answered quietly. "Also, don't feel obligated to entertain me. I can look after myself you know."  
  
"Why would I feel obligated to entertain you?" I shot back.  
  
"Why wouldn't you?" she retorted.  
  
She had a good point there.  
  
"Fine then. I have homework to do anyway." I said leaving the room.  
  
Thanks for all the reviews I've received. Umm, I hope you found this chapter okay. The next chapter will be better though and about the same length. I'll try to update at least once a week. I have exams coming up so please bear with me if I'm not updating fast enough for you. 


	34. Chapter 34: Staring into space

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 34: Staring into space  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Good morning Kai-kun" Akina said to me the next morning at breakfast.  
  
"Morning Akina" I muttered sitting down across from her.  
  
"Is that all you're eating?" I asked her pointing towards her glass of juice and single slice of toast.  
  
"I don't particularly feel hungry today" she answered shrugging.  
  
Frowning, I pushed the feeling that something was wrong away and began eating breakfast.  
  
Wandering lazily through the hallways, I wondered where Akina could've got to. Since I had already finished my homework and working out I decided to go and find her.  
  
I walked towards her room and paused for a moment before knocking on the door.  
  
"Come on" Akina's voice floated through the door.  
  
"Oh hey Kai" she said absently looking up from a book.  
  
"What are you reading?" I asked her sitting down next to her.  
  
"Huh?" she replied confused.  
  
Reaching over, I plucked the book from her hands and realized that she had been reading it upside down.  
  
"Akina, do you always read books upside down?" I asked her.  
  
"Huh? Did you say something?" she said after a few seconds.  
  
I sighed. This wasn't right. Glancing over at her, I saw that she had returned to staring into space with a glazed look in her eyes.  
  
"Akina are you okay?" I questioned her carefully.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" she said smiling brightly at me.  
  
"Akina, don't bullshit with me please. It's obvious to me that you are not okay" I said rolling my eyes.  
  
"I'm fine really" she insisted before standing up. "I've just got a bit of a headache, that's all. I think I'll take a nap"  
  
I stood up reluctantly and crossed to the door way.  
  
"Akina, it's not worth it" I stated quietly as I leaned against the door frame.  
  
"Huh? What's not worth it?" she responded crawling into her bed.  
  
"Just get some sleep, okay?" I said deciding that would be best for the time being.  
  
"Where's Akina?" I asked mum later that day as I sat down at lunch.  
  
"Oh, she's still sleeping upstairs. I decided it was best not to wake her" mum answered.  
  
"Shouldn't she eat?" I said with a frown.  
  
"She can eat when she wakes up" mum said patiently, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth "But I can see that you're quite anxious about her condition, so why don't you take her lunch tray up after you're done?"  
  
I scowled as I spotted the amused expression on my mother's face. Just what was she implying?  
  
"Here you go. Do make sure she eats Kai" mum said after lunch as she handed me a tray.  
  
I rolled my eyes as I walked up the stairs. Shouldn't the maid be doing this? Isn't that what we paid them for?  
  
Balancing the tray on one hand, I knocked on Akina's door with the other. When I got no response I knocked louder before pushing the door open with the help of my foot.  
  
I crossed the room silently and lowered the tray onto the side table next to the bed and then turned to see Akina's small figure curled up in the bed.  
  
"Akina, get up. I know you're awake" I told her sternly.  
  
"Sleeping" she mumbled, her half-lidded lifeless eyes peeking out at me from the top of the blanket.  
  
"Get up and eat now" I said irritably.  
  
"Not hungry, I'll eat later" she said her voice muffled as she buried her head underneath the covers.  
  
"Stop being difficult" I snapped losing my patience. "You are going to eat now whether you want to or not"  
  
"Make me" Akina said shooting up to a sitting position to poke her tongue out at me.  
  
"You are so childish" I said scowling as I sat down next to her on the bed. "If you want to be like that fine. I'm not going to say that I didn't warn you"  
  
With that I swiftly leaned over scooping up a spoonful of rice and held it in front of Akina's lips.  
  
"Open" I commanded.  
  
"No" she said shaking her head stubbornly. "I can look after myself you know"  
  
God, it was like I was fucking babysitting.  
  
"Well you obviously aren't going to eat by yourself" I pointed out as the spoon hovered over her lips once more. "Now open"  
  
"Fine" Akina finally huffed, opening her mouth allowing the spoon to pass before promptly swallowing. "Now will you leave me alone?"  
  
"No, you're going to finish all of this" I stated firmly taking in her dull blue orbs, noting that they didn't sparkle with energy as they usually did. "Even if I have to spoon feed you all of this"  
  
"Oh really?" she retorted, a faint twinkle appearing in her eyes. "So you are willing to feed me all of this?"  
  
"No, you're going to eat this all now" I said setting down the spoon.  
  
"You know what, I don't think so. I'm going back to sleep" she announced.  
  
"No you're going to eat" I told her getting seriously pissed off with her behavior.  
  
"Only if you feed me" she said teasingly and I could see that she thought there was no way in which I would agree with her.  
  
Two could play at that game.  
  
"Fine, if that's the way it has to be" I said and picked up the spoon once more.  
  
Her eyes widened when she saw that I was serious and a smirk formed on my mouth.  
  
"Well come on, open up" I said lifting the spoon up to her lips and was pleased when Akina obediently opened her mouth.  
  
"Thanks Kai-kun" Akina said, a giggle escaping her lips when she had finished.  
  
"You better come down for dinner" I merely said before picking up the tray and turning to the door.  
  
"And what if I don't?" she called out. "Are you going to come up and feed me again?"  
  
"You wish. You're lucky I even came up here in the first place" I responded before closing the door behind me.  
  
I thought that Akina would've gotten better by the end of the weekend, but it seemed to me that she had only gotten worse. If I hadn't gone up to her room to visit her, I probably would've only seen her at meal times. And although she appeared cheerful and herself then, I could see through her act.  
  
I rolled around in my bed, and wondered whether she would be like this at school tomorrow.  
  
A noise from Akina's room caught my attention and I sat up. Better go check to see if anything's wrong I thought and got up from my bed.  
  
I made no noise as I walked to her room and opened her door slightly to peer inside. Catching sight of her bed, I saw that it was empty and I pushed the door open further. A movement to the right caught my eye and I focused in on it.  
  
There she was. At first I thought she was just looking out of the window, but a moment later, she whirled around and I caught a flash of steel. She was going through several swift swipes with her bamboo sword and the moonlight streaming through the open window reflected off the blade.  
  
"Akina?" I called out to her softly stepping into the room.  
  
She froze for a moment before relaxing and turning to face me.  
  
"Hey Kai" she said. "What are you doing up?"  
  
"What am I doing up? What are you doing up?" I said in reply.  
  
"Couldn't sleep" she said wearily with a shrug. "Probably because I've slept for the whole day"  
  
I frowned when I saw the obviously tired expression in her eyes. She was lying. She probably didn't even sleep at all this weekend.  
  
"When was the last time you slept?" I inquired.  
  
"Earlier today" she simply said.  
  
"You should sleep now" I told her.  
  
"You think I don't want to? I want to but I can't" she said staring at the ground. "Because every time I try, I see him....with that girl"  
  
"Akina" I said stepping towards her.  
  
There was a dull thud as the bamboo sword fell from her hands onto the floor.  
  
"What's wrong with me Kai?" she asked me looking up.  
  
"Nothing's wrong with you Akina. He's the one who's screwed up" I assured her. "Now you should rest, we have school tomorrow"  
  
"Oh god, I totally forgot." She said covering her face with her hands. "Well I suppose you better get some sleep too. Don't worry, I'll sleep"  
  
I made no move whatsoever to leave. I knew for a fact that Akina wouldn't sleep tonight.  
  
I sighed, "Come on" I said and nudged her gently over to the bed. "I'll stay here until you sleep just to make sure"  
  
"Kai, you don't have to. I can look after myself" she stubbornly said.  
  
"Whatever" I muttered as she climbed into bed.  
  
"Anyway, what about you? Don't you need to sleep as well?" she continued.  
  
"Just sleep okay?" I commanded her.  
  
"Only if you do as well" she protested.  
  
"Fine" I mumbled and climbed into bed beside her.  
  
"Good" she said lightly before curling up next to me. "Kai?"  
  
"Mmm yeah?" I replied.  
  
"Thanks"  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
I was walking down the pitch black corridor again.  
  
You'd think I would have different dreams once in a while.  
  
Sighing, I walked towards where the light would appear. I froze for a moment. This could not be happening. The dream didn't happen this way. But rubbing my eyes didn't change the vision before me.  
  
The scenery had changed and I found myself at school. Watching him and that girl. But this time was different. I couldn't move or make a sound. I was an outsider, a spectator.  
  
I tried to squeeze my eyes shut, but they refused to obey and remained glued to what was happening right in front of me.  
  
I wanted to scream, wanted to run, but my legs wouldn't move and my mouth opened but no sound came out.  
  
I could only watch fixated.  
  
Suddenly, I felt strong warm arms wrap around me and I found myself face to face with Kai.  
  
"Kai?" I questioned, the words flew from my mouth this time.  
  
"What's done is done" he said and I hugged him tightly.  
  
"Please don't leave me" I whispered.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't" he promised.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Rubbing my eyes, I rolled around in bed to face Akina.  
  
She seemed to be sleeping soundly which was definitely good. Maybe she should stay home today, catch up on sleep. But then again, knowing her, she probably would refuse to stay at home.  
  
I caught a whiff of mangos. I frowned in concentration as I tried to find the source. Surely there were not mangos in the room? Struck by a sudden inspiration, I glanced towards Akina and the scent became slightly stronger. Bingo. Was I smart or what? It would appear that the mango scent was coming from Akina, most likely her shampoo or something.  
  
At that moment, she snuggled closer to me, sighing lightly in her sleep.  
  
I could easily wake her and tell her to get off me, but who knows when she would sleep this soundly again.  
  
"Kai" she murmured and nestled her head against my bare chest. "Wo ai ni Kai"  
  
Huh? What did that mean? It was definitely Chinese so I had no idea.  
  
Brushing the thought aside, I dozed off, there were still a few hours until school started.  
  
I didn't wake up until several hours later. Darting a quick glance at the clock confirmed my suspicions. I was late. Well, Akina and I were late. School had started half an hour ago. Shit.  
  
Akina must've sensed my awakening for her eyes slowly fluttered open.  
  
"Kai" she mumbled. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Yeah, we're late for school" I answered.  
  
"Hmm really" she said absently. "Suppose we better get ready then"  
  
"That would be a good idea" I said getting up.  
  
15minutes later, we were seated at the dining table, having a hurried breakfast. Well I was having a hurried breakfast. Akina on the other hand, seemed to be taking her time. If she was somebody else, I probably would've urged her to be faster but after several sleepless nights, I didn't push her. We were already late so being a few more minutes late wouldn't really matter.  
  
"I wonder where my car is" Akina mused when we were going down to my garage.  
  
"Probably in my garage" I answered opening the door that led to it. "See" I said gesturing to the gleaming silver convertible parked neatly next to my black one.  
  
"I also wonder where my car keys are" she thought aloud pausing for a moment.  
  
"Akina, don't bother. We'll take my car today" I said digging my keys out of my pocket.  
  
"Fine then" she agreed before getting in.  
  
We sped across the city easily since the morning rush had been over an hour ago. We reached the school in record time and made our way to the office for a late pass.  
  
"What is your reason for being late?" the office lady inquired.  
  
Crap. In all the rush we had forgotten to come up with a plausible excuse. Somehow I knew that oversleeping would not be one.  
  
At that exact moment, the phone on the table rang.  
  
"Fill this in" the lady instructed, pushing two bright orange slips towards us.  
  
"Hello, St. Xavier Secondary College, how may I help you?" she spoke into the phone.  
  
"Yes" she said after listening. "Not a problem. Thank-you, have a nice day"  
  
"Well" she said turning back to us after she had hung up. "Would I be correct to assume that you are Hiwatari Kai and Hiragazaki Akina?"  
  
"Yes" I confirmed in surprise.  
  
"Well then, Hiwatari Kai, your mother just called explaining why the two of you are late today. Here are your late passes. Please go straight to class now" she explained to us whisking the orange slips out of sight and handing us each a lime green late pass.  
  
"Well that was easier than I thought it'd be" Akina remarked as she slipped her bag into her locker and slid books out.  
  
"My mother's very organized" I told her as she leaned over to pop open my locker. "Thanks. What do we have now?"  
  
"English and Chem" she supplied and I took out a few books and shut my locker.  
  
When we opened the door and walked into the room, everybody's attention automatically switched to us.  
  
"Do they have to do that?" I hissed to Crystal.  
  
"Orienting response" she replied as the teacher glared at us.  
  
"What the hell is that?" I asked her after the teacher checked our late passes and we had sat down next to Rei, Tala and Mariah.  
  
"Orienting response is the tendency to respond to a new stimulus in an environment." She explained dismissively.  
  
"Where'd you learn that from?" Mariah asked her.  
  
"Psychology" Crystal answered.  
  
"Why are you guys late anyway?" Tala said to us.  
  
"Overslept" I replied opening up my book.  
  
"Both of you on the same day at the same time?" Rei questioned suspiciously.  
  
"Well Crystal's staying at my house" I said.  
  
"Why?" Mariah said curiously.  
  
"My father went overseas. Since our fathers are friends, his father offered for me to stay at their house" Crystal responded promptly. "By the way Kai, your tie's crooked."  
  
"Is it?" I said looking down at it.  
  
"Here" she said and she leaned over to straighten it out. "There"  
  
I could help but smirk when I noticed several girls shoot envious looks at Crystal.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"So Kai, got anything planned for your birthday yet?" Tala asked him a while later.  
  
"No. Don't think I'll do anything this year" he answered.  
  
"What? Why not? It's your 18th, you have to do something" Mariah exclaimed.  
  
"I don't really want to do anything. If I do anything at all, my father will make sure that all the snobs are invited. Anyway, I don't have to do anything if I don't want to" Kai said in reply.  
  
Hmm, that gave me an idea...  
  
Ooh, wonder what Crystal's idea is. But I'm sure that you can probably guess. Well I hope that you like this chapter. Once again, review please. I'll try to keep the chapters nice and long for you okay? 


	35. Chapter 35: Giant pink penguin

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 35: Giant pink penguin  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
As Kai and I headed for our lockers after the bell for lunch rang, I caught a glimpse of the person I least wanted to see.  
  
It was at that moment he chose to turn around slightly in my direction and caught sight of me. He made his way through the crowd of students over to me and Kai and came to a stop in front of us.  
  
"Hey Mei-Lin" he said easily.  
  
Ignoring him, I turned around to continue down the hallway but a hand caught a hold of my wrist. Whirling around I turned to see that it was Adam.  
  
"Mei-Lin, can we just talk for a minute?" he pleaded.  
  
"Talk? What is there to talk about?" I snapped at him.  
  
"Us" he answered.  
  
"Us?" I said mockingly. "There is no us any longer Adam"  
  
"Please, just hear me out" he said.  
  
"No. I saw what you were doing with that other girl. I think that your actions will speak louder than any of your words ever will" I said scowling. "Now let me go now"  
  
"No, not until you at least listen to what I have to say" he responded stubbornly.  
  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, an arm shot out and grabbed a hold of Adam's hand.  
  
I turned to face Kai, a look of fury upon his face, with his arm holding Adam's hand in a firm iron-clad grip.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"You listen and you listen good cause I'm only going to warn you once" I told Adam swiftly switching my grip from his hand to his neck.  
  
"You will never ever attempt to talk to Crystal again. You will remain a minimum of at least 10m away from her at all times." I warned him easily yanking his shirt collar up roughly so that he rose up with it too. My eyes flickered down and I smirked in satisfaction when I saw that Adam was now currently standing in mid-air due to my hold of him. His feet dangled several inches from the ground and his face was steadily growing red.  
  
"Kai-kun?" a voice spoke up to my right.  
  
By tilting my head slightly, I saw that it was Crystal.  
  
"Yeah?" I asked her casually.  
  
"Umm" she said as her eyes darted towards Adam. "Could you put that down? It's lunch and I'm hungry"  
  
"Fine" I said sighing. "Failure to comply will result in extreme consequences. Is that understood?" I barked at Adam.  
  
When he provided no reaction I gave him a little shake. "Well, is it?"  
  
He gave a tiny little nod when he realized he couldn't talk after he had tried too but only produced a choking noise.  
  
"Good, now get out of here. I don't want to see your face any longer that I have to" I said before releasing him.  
  
Adam slumped to the ground and lay there, gulping in mouthfuls of air.  
  
"Let's just go Kai-kun" Crystal said tugging at my hand.  
  
"You know you didn't have to do that" she said quietly when we reached our lockers.  
  
"Yes I did" I answered.  
  
"No, you didn't" she replied firmly. "I can look after myself thank you very much"  
  
"Right" I said rolling my eyes. "I know you can kick his ass. You did it last week. But remember last week you had changed into jeans and today you are wearing your school skirt"  
  
"Oh yeah" she realized.  
  
Anyway, I thought, he was practically asking for it. If we hadn't been in the hallways, I would've given him more than just a warning. I had seen how Crystal's eyes had changed when they caught sight of him. They had narrowed with anger and had become swirls of aqua and turquoise. Never a good sign.  
  
"Yay! It's the weekend at last" Crystal cried out happily at the end of the week.  
  
"Do you have any plans for the weekend yet?" I asked her.  
  
"Not really" Crystal replied covering a yawn with her hand. "Probably just watch TV and catch up on sleep"  
  
I frowned. Most weeks, she'd go out al least once, whether it was a day of shopping with Mariah on Saturday or stopping to grab a sundae at the ice- cream parlor after school. But lately, she hadn't done any of those things. She'd just come straight back to the house, flop down on the couch and veg in front of the TV for a few hours or else go up to her room to do homework.  
  
An idea slowly began to form in my mind..  
  
The next morning, I crept silently into Akina's room and gave her a light poke in the side.  
  
I was glad to see that she had been sleeping well for the last few days.  
  
"Mmm" she mumbled before promptly rolling the other way.  
  
"Akina, time to get up" I told her.  
  
"Sleep" she murmured in response.  
  
"No, we're going out today" I said.  
  
"Huh?" she said groggily. "We are?"  
  
"Yes" I said impatiently wishing that she would wake up properly up now.  
  
"Where?" she questioned as she struggled to get up into a sitting position.  
  
"Get up and you'll see" I answered.  
  
An hour later, I was already seriously regretting taking Akina out.  
  
Firstly, we had gone for breakfast at café where Akina decided she wanted crepes and ice-cream and berries as well as a mug of hot chocolate. At least her appetite seemed to be returning.  
  
Since she had her own little stuffed toy fortress at home, I thought that she might like going to the toy warehouse downtown. The toy warehouse has everything single toy that you can possible think of. It wasn't a place just for little kids either. There was an entire section of electronics and there were cats and dogs which behaved quite lifelike as well as the largest selection of games in all of Tokyo.  
  
Akina had been quiet during the ride over, but as soon as we had stepped through the glass revolving doors, her eyes had lit up and she immediately levitated towards the stuffed toy section.  
  
I followed her and was pleased to see her come to life before me as she began to play with all the stuffed toys.  
  
"They're so cute" she exclaimed hugging a gigantic pink penguin.  
  
"I'd figured you'd go for this kinda stuff" I said leaning against the wall observing her while she went down the aisle petting various stuffed toys.  
  
"I love it here" she said smiling and her eyes sparkled with glee. "Did you want to go and check out the gaming section?"  
  
"I don't mind" I answered shrugging.  
  
We did actually end up going to the games section and before leaving, I stopped at the counter briefly then suggested to Akina that we go and grab lunch.  
  
"I know where to go next" Akina said after we had finished lunch.  
  
"Where?" I asked.  
  
"You'll see" she said covering her mouth to stifle her giggles.  
  
"Where are you taking me Akina?" I asked once again my eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Is it somewhere you know I wouldn't like to go?"  
  
"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies" she stated firmly before taking off down the street.  
  
Rolling my eyes, I reluctantly followed her, keeping her bobbing black hair in sight in the busy crowd.  
  
Finally, we came to a stop in front of place called Photos Plus.  
  
I had a bad feeling about this.  
  
"Well come on Kai-kun, don't just stand there" Akina said and gestured for me to follow her.  
  
I entered the store and looked around and scowled. Several different Sticker Photo booths lined the side walls, each hanging with signs showing the various types.  
  
"What are we doing here?" I turned to address Akina.  
  
"Taking sticker photos" she said brightly, her eyes shone as she took in the place. "Unless you want to take dream photos"  
  
"What are dream photos?" I asked.  
  
"These" she said and indicated to a photo featuring a group of girls posed against a red-heart backdrop and pointed to the studio at the back as well. "They're taken in studios"  
  
"I don't want to take dream photos" I said.  
  
"Well then, we'll take sticker photos" she said and disappeared into a nearby booth.  
  
"I don't want to take sticker photos either" I argued.  
  
"Aww, come on Kai-kun. Do it for me please?" Akina said sticking her head out of the booth.  
  
While I thought for a moment, she pulled me into the booth beside her without any warning.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" I snapped after she had snapped the curtains closed.  
  
"Don't be such a grouch. Just take the sticker photo okay?" she insisted as she pulled a few coins out of her wallet and inserted them into the machine.  
  
"I hope you know what you're doing" I grumbled, crossing my arms.  
  
"Don't worry. I know how to use the machines" she assured me using her finger on the touch screen. "Get ready"  
  
She gently tugged me into position beside her as an electronic voice counted 3,2,1.  
  
There was a flash which blinded my eyes and for a moment, everything was blue. I blinked and my eyes cleared up.  
  
"Get ready for the next one" Akina advised me.  
  
"What, there's more?" I said in disbelief.  
  
"Yes there's more. You take four shots and then chose three" she replied as she took a step closer to me and leaned her head lightly against my shoulder. "It's going to look stupid unless you put your arm around me"  
  
Scowling in annoyance, I wrapped an arm around her and the flash went off once again.  
  
'Hmm, what next?" Akina wondered aloud before stepping in front of me. "Loosen up a bit, will you? You always look so serious all the time"  
  
I took no notice of her comment and wrapped my arms around her waist just as she opened her mouth to tell me to.  
  
"Good" she said pleased and the camera flashed again. "Last one"  
  
At that, she moved over so that she was now to the left of me and stood up on her tip toes to plant a short peck on my cheek a moment before the camera flashed.  
  
She giggled as she caught sight of the surprised look on my face before she turned back to the touch screen.  
  
"This machine must be one of the new ones" she commented as she was prompted to select the photos we wanted. "This one allows you to draw and write whatever you want as well as providing pictures, borders and backgrounds to decorate. Which photos do you want?"  
  
I glanced over her shoulder to look at the screen.  
  
"I don't care" I said shrugging in reply.  
  
"Okay then" she said and chose the last three shots and a screen displaying the selected photos with decorations, borders and backgrounds on one side appeared. "Help me decorate"  
  
Sighing, I reached an arm around her and flicked through the borders section and chose a blue bubbled one. Akina meanwhile was dragging a pen across the screen. When she moved her hand aside, I leaned closer to see that it read: Akina + Kai in a neat blue print.  
  
"Do you want to write something too?" she asked me holding out the pen.  
  
"No, it's okay" I told her and she flicked to the stamps bit. Her finger hovered over the selection before she decided on the stars and began to decorate the corner of the photos with them.  
  
After several more minutes, she announced that she was done and pushed the button to print.  
  
"There should be scissors around somewhere" she remarked after picking the photos up from the bottom slot. "There they are" she said as she caught sight of a pair on the table. "Here you go" she said passing half of the sheet over to me after she had cut them.  
  
"Thanks" I said, pocketing them and checked my watch. "Do you want to go back now?"  
  
"Yeah okay" she agreed before we exited the store.  
  
When we arrived home, a delivery truck was waiting in the driveway.  
  
"Did you order something?" she asked me as I parked the car in my garage.  
  
"Wait and see" I said to her.  
  
"Hello Kai and Akina" my mother greeted us when we entered the foyer. "I took the liberty of signing the delivery form and I instructed the men to send it up"  
  
"Thanks mum" I said to her and Akina and I went upstairs.  
  
"What do you want to do now?" she asked me as she opened the door to her room. "WAH!" she exclaimed as she came face to face with the giant pink penguin. "What's it doing here? Kai?"  
  
"You liked it so I bought it for you" I said simply.  
  
"Thanks heaps Kai" she said and gave me a quick hug. "I love it. But can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure, what is it?" I replied.  
  
"Why?" she questioned.  
  
"Why what?" I responded in confusion.  
  
"Why did you buy this for me?" she said.  
  
"What? Do I need a reason for buying this for you?" I answered frowning. Just where was she going with this?  
  
"You don't need a reason to buy me this. It's just it's a little out of character for you to buy somebody a gift for no reason" she commented before giving the giant penguin a big hug. "Anyway, what do you think I should call it?"  
  
"I dunno. Whatever you want" I said.  
  
"Well help me think will you?" she said. "I can't think of any names since I used a lot of names on my other stuffed toys. You name it, you bought it for me"  
  
"Fine" I said and cast my mind around for a name. "How about Pingu?"  
  
"Pingu?" she said thoughtfully. "I like it. Pingu it is. I'll have to remember its birthday"  
  
"It's birthday?" I asked. "How do you know its birthday?"  
  
"A stuffed toy's birthday is the day you gave it a name" she told me.  
  
"Where'd you get that from?" I said.  
  
"My mum told me that" she replied.  
  
"Oh," I said.  
  
"Anyway, let's go eat ice-cream" she suggested.  
  
"Ice-cream? You had ice-cream for breakfast and lunch and now you want it again?" I said in disbelief.  
  
"Sure, why not?" she challenged me before leaving the room singing, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream"  
  
Sorry, I know I promised you some "action" or something like that in this chapter, but now that I've just re-read it, I dunno if you would consider this "action." *shrugs* anyway, hope you liked it. As for those who asked what "Wo ai ni" means...I'm afraid that you'll have to wait....let's see..chapter 38? Lolz, sorry. Thanks for all the reviews; I've finally hit 300 Yay! 


	36. Chapter 36: Soft spot

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 36: Soft spot  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
I stared aimlessly at the ceiling that night as I tried to get to sleep. The images of Adam with the other girl no longer came as frequent as they did last week.  
  
I sighed and rolled over in my bed. I really hoped that I wouldn't dream tonight. For the past week, I had been having a recurring dream, one about seeing Adam and that girl together. But now, Kai would appear in them and reassure me. I smiled at the thought. I could always remember the practically my entire dream clearly, but I could never seem to remember the last bit. The last bit was always kinda hazy. But it must've been good since I always woke feeling quite content with a fuzzy feeling inside.  
  
Kai had been so kind to me lately. Everybody had a good side to them, I just didn't expect Kai to show me his.  
  
I shivered and pulled the covers up to my chin. The giant pink penguin loomed in the corner of my room and I stifled a giggle at the thought of Kai buying it for me. Who knew he could be so sweet? I was sure that Mariah wouldn't believe me if I told her that.  
  
Is the heater on? I wondered. My room always seemed so cold or maybe it was just me.  
  
It wasn't cold when Kai was here last week I thought absently and then shook my head in confusion when I realized what I had just thought.  
  
I stood up from my bed and crossed to the heater to check it was on. Wrapping my arms around myself, I walked over to the window and drew the curtain aside to gaze out.  
  
Standing here, I was struck with the vivid memory of how Kai came in at night a few days back. My cheeks reddened further and I mentally scolded myself.  
  
Get a grip of yourself Akina I scolded myself. What's happening to you? It's only Kai.  
  
A smile spread across my face once again as his face drifted through my head.  
  
Yeah, it's only Kai..  
  
I shook my head to remove him from my thoughts but they stubbornly remained lodged in my head.  
  
What the hell was going on?  
  
This had never happened before.  
  
I frowned in the darkness, my thoughts of Kai swirling around in my mind.  
  
"Go away!" I finally cried out in frustration when the thoughts of Kai continued to haunt me.  
  
Oops. That wasn't supposed to come out aloud. I covered my mouth and waited a few minutes. Good, nobody seemed to have heard. As I allowed myself a small sigh of relief, I heard a creak and spun around to see Kai enter my room.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked me when he saw me standing by the window.  
  
"No, I'm fine" I said, blushing. At least it was dark.  
  
"Ok then" he said his eyes flickering across the room. "You better get some sleep"  
  
"Don't worry, I will" I assured him but he didn't move. "What?"  
  
"Well, get into bed" he said.  
  
"Fine" I huffed before climbing into bed. "Happy now?"  
  
"Just sleep okay?" he said rolling his eyes.  
  
"Good night" I said to him.  
  
"Night" he responded before softly closing the door behind him.  
  
I sighed with disappointment that he hadn't stayed longer.  
  
What?  
  
Was I just disappointed that he hadn't offered to stay the night?  
  
Wait, did I seriously have that thought?  
  
God, I really needed to stop thinking so much.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I frowned in the darkness. Akina had better be sleeping. If she didn't get enough sleep she'll collapse. Maybe I should go and check on her again, just to make sure.  
  
Flinging off my covers, I went to her room and opened her door just a bit, small enough for me to see in.  
  
Sure enough, there she was sleeping soundly in bed. Murmuring something in her sleep, she turned slightly before settling back down.  
  
She might be having nightmares again I mused.  
  
She pulled the covers closer as a slight breeze fluttered through the room and I looked for the source of it. The window she had been standing by when I had previously come in was open slightly, allowing a draft of wind to come in.  
  
I hesitated, should I go close it or not? Better close it, she might catch a cold. Upon making my decision, I briskly crossed her room and shut it.  
  
Akina stirred in her sleep and I turned to face her. The moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating her face and a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. At least she wasn't having nightmares.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
Wonder what time it is, I thought sleepily as I stretched lazily in my bed.  
  
Once again, I had that dream....but this one had been different from the rest.  
  
Adam for one hadn't been in it but Kai had.  
  
My cheeks flared up at the thought of him.  
  
Why was this happening? And to me of all people.  
  
A scowl replaced the small smile I had retained from my dream.  
  
What was this anyway? The feeling felt vaguely familiar..was it love?  
  
I frowned at that thought. Me, in love with Kai? Ha, as if. Since Adam, I hadn't even looked at another guy with a second glance. I did not want to go through all that crap again.  
  
Anyway, even if I did like Kai, there was no way that he would ever like me back. He wasn't that kind of person. Even if he was warming up a bit. I looked across the room to see the pink penguin grinning at me. It stood as tall as me and puffed its pink and white fuzzy chest out proudly.  
  
It was nice of Kai to buy it for me I thought. And it was nice of Kai to stick up for me with Adam. And it was nice of him to take me out yesterday. And when he came to confront me that night about Adam...  
  
My cheeks flushed as a wistful smile played upon my lips. .  
  
It was incredibly sweet of him to stay the night. Most guys would be so immature about sharing a bed with a girl and boast to their friends about it. But not Kai. Although, he probably didn't tell the others because they'd probably diss him for having a soft spot.  
  
A soft spot. The corner of my lips curved upwards at that thought. Kai isn't as cold as he thinks he is.....  
  
Once, when I could've sworn that his arms were wrapped around me one morning. But when I had woken up they were gone and I thought that it was part of a dream. I was never sure about exactly what had happened that morning. I suppose I could've easily gone and asked Kai myself, but if had been a dream, it would turn into an extremely awkward situation. I'd rather just keep the memory as it was.  
  
Wait, don't go there, I scolded myself. Time to get up and eat.  
  
"Good morning Akina" Katrina greeted me when I entered the dining room.  
  
"Good morning Katrina" I responded.  
  
"What would you like for breakfast today?" she asked me.  
  
"I think I'll just have fruit salad and hot chocolate today" I answered.  
  
"What no ice-cream?" a voice teased from behind me.  
  
I whipped my head around to see Kai leaning against the door and felt my cheeks turn pink.  
  
"Not this morning. I'll have some later" I replied.  
  
"Good morning Kai. I expect you'll be having your usual?" Katrina addressed him.  
  
"Yes" he responded and sat down in the chair next to mine.  
  
Soon, my fruit salad and hot chocolate arrived while toast and a cup of coffee were set down in front of Kai.  
  
"Do you always have coffee?" I questioned him.  
  
"Do you always have hot chocolate?" he said in reply.  
  
"I like hot chocolate" I answered.  
  
"And I like coffee" he stated.  
  
"Isn't it bitter?" I asked him.  
  
"Not really. Haven't you tried it before?" he said taking a bite of his toast.  
  
"Kinda" I said stirring my hot chocolate.  
  
"What do you mean kinda?" he asked.  
  
"Well I've tried coffee flavored stuff" I said shrugging.  
  
"It's not exactly the same thing" he said rolling his eyes. "You should actually try the real thing one day"  
  
"One day? People always say one day but most of the time that one day never comes" I remarked.  
  
"Well then, don't be one of those people" he said.  
  
"I'm not" I said. "I'll try it now"  
  
Kai merely smirked.  
  
"But" I said biting my lip. "What if I don't like it and don't finish it? Wouldn't it be a waste?"  
  
"You-" Kai began but shook his head when he obviously couldn't find the right words. "Never mind. Here, take a sip from my cup if you really want to try it"  
  
"Really?" I asked in surprise.  
  
"Yes, really" he confirmed and pushed his cup towards me.  
  
"Thanks Kai-kun" I said as I accepted the cup from him and I did my best to ignore the spark which shot up my arm when my hand brushed against his but my cheeks immediately became tinged with pink.  
  
Crap, why now of all times? Did the universe have something against me?  
  
Hoping that Kai hadn't noticed, I quickly took a sip from his cup.  
  
"You don't like it?" he asked me when I made a face.  
  
"It's okay. I suppose if I drank it more often I'd get used to it. It's just that it's not very sweet" I responded.  
  
"Coffee isn't supposed to be sweet" he replied.  
  
"Oh right" I said absently as my arm paused halfway to the sugar bowl and pushed the cup back towards Kai instead. "So what are you going to do today?"  
  
"The weather's nice today, I was thinking about going for a swim" he answered and glanced at me. "I suppose you can join me if you want to"  
  
"Well, if you say it like that..." I trailed off.  
  
"Don't be such a brat. Do you need a golden invitation or something?" he said rolling his eyes.  
  
"No, it's just that I might be a bother to you" I said with a shrug.  
  
"Since when have you cared that you're a bother to me?" Kai inquired.  
  
"Unlike you, I do care" I replied.  
  
"Whatever. Either swim or don't. It's of no concern to me" he said before leaving the table.  
  
Digging through my bag, I idly wondered whether I had bought my bikini or not. Finally, I pulled it out from the bottom of my bag and changed into it.  
  
Kai was right, I realized as I glanced out the window. It was a nice day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, etc, etc. you get the idea.  
  
Maybe I should go throw on a shirt; it was just a bit chilly only wearing this. I dug through my bag once again but remembered that I hadn't bought a shirt. Sighing, I wandered next door into Kai's room and caught sight of him disappearing into his walk in robe.  
  
I followed him in and saw that he had already changed into a pair of black shorts and was in the process of riffling through his rack for a shirt.  
  
"Ready to go?" he asked when he saw me.  
  
"Yeah" I replied watching as he pulled out a white shirt.  
  
"Are you only going to wear that?" he asked gesturing towards my bikini.  
  
"Yeah. What else do expect me to wear?" I said telling myself that this was not the time to get self-conscious.  
  
"Don't you think you'll get cold on the way?" he questioned.  
  
"Cold on the way?" I asked vaguely confused.  
  
"Yeah. We're going to the beach" he answered.  
  
"The beach? Huh? I thought we were going swimming in your pool" I said now understanding.  
  
"No, change of plans. Called the others up, they'll be meeting us there" Kai replied. "So you going to put something else on?"  
  
"I don't have a shirt" I said with a shrug.  
  
"You're utterly hopeless you know that?" Kai said with a sigh and tugged off an identical white shirt to his off from a hanger.  
  
"I am not" I said indignantly. "How was I to know we'd be going to the beach?"  
  
"Just put this on" he said tossing me the shirt.  
  
"Fine" I said catching it and pulling it on. "I think I have a skirt in my bag"  
  
Searching through my bags, a knock sounded at the door.  
  
"Come in" I invited and the door opened to reveal Mariah. "Hey Mariah, I thought we were meeting up at the beach?"  
  
"Yeah, Rei and Tala came by to pick me up and since Kai's house is on the way to the beach..." Mariah supplied.  
  
"Oh okay then" I said. "I suppose they're in Kai's room then?"  
  
"Yeah" Mariah answered.  
  
"Which one?" I asked her holding up pair of well worn demin shorts and a mini-skirt in the same style.  
  
"Definitely the skirt. It's shorter" Mariah said. "It'll look great on you since you have long legs"  
  
"Okay then" I agreed and slipped into it.  
  
"The guys will go crazy" she said laughing.  
  
"Mmm" I said smoothing it down and an image of Kai came to my mind. My cheeks redden and I immediately pushed the thought aside. Don't think about stuff like that.  
  
"You girls ready to go yet?" Tala asked as he and the others entered the room. "Whoa, Crystal, love the skirt"  
  
"Thanks" I said lightly, firmly telling myself not to look at Kai's face knowing very well that if I did, I'd probably redden once more.  
  
Like I really needed that.  
  
Okay, so what'd you think? Yeah, I know this chapter wasn't as good as the last one...but the next one will be better and long as well....thanks for all the reviews and please keep them coming. 


	37. Chapter 37: Head over heels

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 37: Head-over-heels  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I smirked at the envious looks thrown by girls and guys alike at Crystal when we arrived at the beach. She looked great even if she herself didn't know it.  
  
"Dude, Crystal is smoking" Tala muttered to me.  
  
"You don't need to tell me that" I replied as my gaze flickered over to Crystal.  
  
She was standing next to Mariah and chatting to her as if she didn't have a care in the world.  
  
Her hair flowed over her shoulders in soft layers and her legs appeared to go on forever in that demin skirt.  
  
I turned to watch Tala's expression as Crystal slipped out of her skirt and shirt.  
  
"Need a bib to catch the drool?" I asked him.  
  
"Hey, it's a natural thing" Tala defended himself as his eyes once again darted towards Crystal.  
  
Crystal was now standing in her bikini, her hand lifted up to her eyes, shading them from the burning sun. Her bikini was baby pink and hugged her body tightly, clearly showing off all of her curves.  
  
"You know, I came today with the intention of picking up but I think I could settle for a day filled with flirting with Crystal" Tala said.  
  
"Tala, I think she's still recovering from the whole Adam thing" I told him.  
  
"Oh well in that case, c'mon. I'm gonna go rub sun tan lotion on her and watch all the other guys' faces grown green with envy" Tala suggested.  
  
"Hey Crystal." Tala said as he walked up to her.  
  
"Hey guys" she responded.  
  
"Aren't you going to put sun tan lotion on?" he questioned her.  
  
"Huh oh yeah" she said and reached to take a bottle of it out of her back.  
  
Much to Tala's disappointment, she didn't ask him to help her rub sun tan lotion onto her back.  
  
"Hey, I'm going to go look around a bit" Tala said after a while.  
  
"Okay then" Crystal said looking up from her lotion.  
  
"Don't do anything I wouldn't" I advised him before he went off.  
  
"Umm, Kai?" Crystal said to me hesitantly.  
  
"Yeah?" I asked her lazily.  
  
"Could you rub the lotion onto my back? I can't really reach" she said.  
  
"Oh ok" I said and picked up the bottle, squeezing some into my palm.  
  
Just as Tala had predicted, the guys surrounding us, shot me looks of jealousy as I rubbed the lotion onto Crystal's back in circular motions.  
  
"Thanks" she said her cheeks turning slightly pink.  
  
"You burn up pretty fast. Don't forget to put some lotion on your face" I told her.  
  
"But I-" she began but stopped midway.  
  
"But you what?" I asked her.  
  
"Nothing" she mumbled as she laid down on her towel.  
  
"Do you want to go play volleyball?" she asked me a moment later when she saw a game being started up down the beach.  
  
"Don't girls just sit and get a tan when they come to the beach?" I asked her.  
  
"Not all girls" she corrected me. "This girl likes to take action instead of just lying around"  
  
"Don't turn all defensive on me" I said.  
  
"I'm not. You just shouldn't be so sexist" she said before turning to walk down the beach.  
  
"Crystal, wait up" I said taking several long strides to catch up to her.  
  
When we reached the volleyball area, we paused for a moment to watch the game.  
  
"Hey baby, wanna join in?" a guy asked when he noticed us standing nearby.  
  
"Yeah, okay" she agreed before walking to the opposite team from the guy's.  
  
"Aww, don't you want to be on my team? I'll save you from the ball" the guy called out.  
  
"Not thanks. I think I can take care of myself" Crystal replied definitely.  
  
Smirking at the guy's crestfallen face, I joined the team which Crystal was in.  
  
The game started up and the ball flew from one side of the net to the other.  
  
I had played a few times before, so I basically knew what I was doing. But Crystal on the other hand played expertly and the ball never touched the ground in the area where she was standing. I saw the other players shoot her admiring looks as she saved the ball time and time again. She spiked the ball with such force that it sped past the player's hands and caused dents in the sand where it landed.  
  
Thanks to her, our team won naturally. I had made several great saves too but Crystal was obviously the better player.  
  
"Whoa, you're not just a pretty face after all" a guy commented when the game had ended.  
  
"Are you seeing anybody?" another eagerly asked.  
  
"Umm" she began obviously growing uncomfortable with all the attention she was receiving.  
  
"C'mon Crystal, let's go get some ice-cream" I suggested to her.  
  
"I wonder what kind of ice-cream they have here" she said thoughtfully, slipping her hand into mine obviously ignoring all the whispering going on behind us.  
  
"Is that her boyfriend?"  
  
"Must be"  
  
"He's so hot"  
  
"Of course he'd have to be"  
  
"Yeah, hot people always date other hot people"  
  
Smirking at their comments, I led Crystal over to the ice-cream stand.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"Thanks for rescuing me back there" I said as I licked my cone.  
  
"You did the same for me with Melissa" Kai answered.  
  
"Mmm" I said as I stuck my tongue out to catch a runaway drip.  
  
"Where'd you two go?" Mariah asked when we returned to our spot.  
  
"Went to play volleyball" Kai replied and smirked.  
  
I followed his glance and smothered a giggle.  
  
"What have you two been up to?" I asked them innocently.  
  
Both their faces turned scarlet. Looks like Mariah and Rei weren't just sun baking judging from the flushed looks on their faces and heavy breathing.  
  
"Think Tala managed to pick up yet?" Rei remarked as we began to set up the picnic punch.  
  
"Knowing him probably" Mariah said rolling her eyes.  
  
"Tsk, tsk" a voice said from behind us. "Talking about me behind my back? I'm appalled"  
  
"Hey Tala" I greeted him. "I wasn't talking about you"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say" he matter-of-factly.  
  
After we ate lunch and rested for a while, Tala, Kai and I decided to go swimming while Rei and Mariah stayed and "sun baked" some more.  
  
As soon as we arrived at the water's edge, Tala took off towards a small group of girls.  
  
"He never changes" Kai muttered.  
  
"Were you ever a player?" I asked him out of the blue.  
  
"What?" he said as he considered the question. "No, why would you think I ever was?"  
  
"Well Rei was a player before Mariah right? And Tala's still a player" I said shooting a glance at Tala. "It's just that I thought you might be one too since your two best friends were"  
  
"Oh, suppose it makes sense" he said slowly as we sat down at the water's edge, the waves washing over our toes.  
  
There was a comfortable silence and I took a peek at Kai.  
  
His two toned blue hair fell into his swirling auburn eyes which gazed out impassively into the waves. Although his eyes revealed nothing beneath the surface to the onlooker, I wondered what was going through his mind at this moment. One could never know what he was thinking since his face was a mask at all times, a skill he would have perfected over the years. But why did he always seem to keep others at an arm's distance? I had never seen him express any interest in any girls before; I had witnessed several girls throw themselves at him..everyday. But he always flatly turned them down; he was quite harsh about it.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Excuse me" a voice spoke up and I looked out from behind my locker to see an orange haired girl with red streaks shifting uncomfortably.  
  
"Can I help you?" I asked politely wondering what she wanted for I was sure that I did not know her.  
  
"I was just wondering whether you and Hiwatari are together" she questioned somewhat carefully.  
  
"Kai and I?" I said an amused smile tugging at the corner of my lips at the idea. "No, we're just friends"  
  
"Oh, well you wouldn't happen to know where he is then?" the girl said her eyes lighting up.  
  
"Is somebody looking for me?" a masculine voice enquired and both of us turned around to see Kai leaning lazily against the opposite wall.  
  
The orange haired girl instantly blossomed a brilliant shade of red.  
  
"I was just wondering whether you'd want to go out with me?" the girl asked hopefully.  
  
"No" Kai said frostily before to the exit without even looking at the girl. "Let's go, the others are waiting in the parking lot"  
  
I reluctantly followed him but not before casting my glance back just in time to see the crestfallen face of the girl, her eyes filling up with hurt.  
  
"Kai, that wasn't very nice" I scolded him as we strolled out of the school's doors.  
  
"So? I get asked out by like five girls a day" he said dismissively. "I can't help it if girls think I'm a God. Like I could care less"  
  
"What do you care about then?" I said with a frown.  
  
"Nothing" he simply responded.  
  
End of Flashback  
  
Yes, I knew that the majority of the female population that he encountered thought that he was hot, but I had never personally thought that myself.  
  
Until now that is.  
  
There was something about the way he held himself, so sure about everything in his life, it was indescribable.  
  
Was that why I felt so drawn to him? Was that why I had levitated towards him on the first day of school?  
  
Hang on, why was I even thinking about this?  
  
I shook my head in disgust and turned my attention to the surfers in the distance.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"I'm going to swim" Crystal announced as she sat up and brushed the grains of sand off herself.  
  
"Can you swim?" I asked her.  
  
"Of course I can!" she replied obviously offended.  
  
"Right. The lifeguard's over there" I said and pointed to him.  
  
"Like it matters. You'll save if I drown right Kai-kun?" she said hopefully with a wink.  
  
"Depends" I answered with a smirk.  
  
"Kai!" she wailed and kicked the water so that it flew up and sprayed me in the face.  
  
"Don't do that" I told her.  
  
"Do what?" she said grinning mischievously and splashed me once again.  
  
"That" I muttered standing up.  
  
"What are you gonna do about it?" she said playfully before kicking the water onto me and giggling.  
  
"This" I said and timed my kick to the wave so that she would get a faceful of water.  
  
"Kai!" she spluttered.  
  
I answered by moving my foot back to get ready for the next wave.  
  
"Don't" she squealed and took off down the shoreline.  
  
I soon followed after a split second and it took me several minutes to close the distance. I was surprised it took so long since I was a fast sprinter and thought I could catch up in a few seconds.  
  
It wasn't long until we were running up and down the beach, engaged in a full-on water fight.  
  
Then suddenly, nothing.  
  
Huh? I thought in confusion, where'd she go? I glanced around and suddenly I felt something come up from behind me and hug me from behind. Here we go, I thought.  
  
"Gotcha" Crystal said triumphantly.  
  
"Don't be too sure about that" I warned her quickly turning around and pinning her to the sand.  
  
"Kai! That's not fair!" she complained as she wriggled under my hold before finally stopping when she realized there was no escape.  
  
"Give up now?" I asked her bending my head down slightly to look at her face.  
  
At that moment, Crystal's cheek became tinged with pink.  
  
"Fine" she finally said with a sigh.  
  
"Good" I said and got up. "The reason why I won and you lost is because you let your guard down. Just when you thought you had me, you let your guard down. Never let your guard down."  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
I was tapping my pacer against my notepad when an image of Adam making out with that girl floated in my head. Argh, like I needed to be reminded I thought disgusted. How could I have been so stupid as to no have realized? I had trusted Adam when I should've trusted Kai.  
  
You have more important issues to deal with right now. Like to getting the plans ready for Kai's surprise birthday party ready. There are only two weeks to go.  
  
First of all, where to have the party? I didn't think it would be wise to have it here or at anybody else's house for that matter. Should I hire out a place? A hall perhaps? It'd have to pretty big since I planned to invite most of our friends from school.  
  
Then, a light bulb went off in my head. A club would be perfect, Tala had once mentioned to me that they went clubbing often. Now which club did he say they went to? My forehead furrowed in concentration as I tried to remember. Sirens. That was the name of the club. Although I hadn't been in Tokyo for long, I had heard from other people that Sirens was the best club around.  
  
So Sirens it is I thought quite pleased. All I have to do is book the place.  
  
Now, what about food? Wait, should there even be food? In a club, probably not. So no food I decided in disappointment. But there'll have to be a cake. I perked up considerably at the thought. And I knew just the place to get it from....  
  
An hour later, I had pretty much finalized the plans for Kai's party.  
  
Sure it wasn't anything too fancy, if it was he probably wouldn't like it. I had called the club and reserved it for two weeks from now. It also came with a D.J but I was going to check with Rei and Tala to see if he was any good. I had called the bakery and was planning to drop by tomorrow after school to choose a cake. As for the invitations, I'd pick them up after checking out the cake.  
  
All done I thought proudly.  
  
I sighed and leaned my head against the cool surface of the table and without any warning whatsoever, an image of Kai as he sat on the beach floated into me head.  
  
Dammit, why was this happening to me of all people? I did not like Kai in that way I told myself firmly.  
  
Soon, the memory of Kai comforting me that night about Adam resurfaced.  
  
I scowled in annoyance when my cheeks heated up.  
  
Why does this happen?  
  
Wait a moment.  
  
No.  
  
This was not happening.  
  
I wasn't...  
  
...I couldn't....  
  
..I wouldn't..  
  
No! I refused to even go there.  
  
There was no way in hell...  
  
Or was there?  
  
Don't think about it, I begged of myself but the thought completed itself in my head before I could stop.  
  
I had fallen for him.  
  
I had fallen for Hiwatari Kai.  
  
Shit.  
  
My eyes flew open with surprise. I was in love with Kai. It's was simple as that.  
  
I groaned and banged my head against the table top. As much as I wanted to deny it, I couldn't. It was true. I had fallen head-over-heels for Kai.  
  
Why me?  
  
You're forgetting something else too a voice nagged in my head.  
  
What?  
  
Kai's present.  
  
Oh shit.  
  
Ooh...about time Akina/Crystal realized her feelings for Kai huh? Thanks for all the reviews and I hope that you liked this chapter. Please remember to review okay? Somebody asked how often I updated. Well, I update once a week usually towards the end of the week like Thursday or Saturday since those are the days which I usually go online. 


	38. Chapter 38: Surprise, surprise

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 38: Surprise, surprise  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
Kai's birthday was two days away.  
  
And I still hadn't decided what to get him.  
  
I'm so screwed I thought miserably as I stared aimlessly out the window.  
  
What the hell do you get a guy you're in love with but don't want to be in love with? I mused hoping the answer would come to me.  
  
Nope, no such luck.  
  
I'll try again later after I've gone and practiced my piano.  
  
I walked down the stairs into the lounge and lifted up the lid of the piano.  
  
Since I was still staying with Kai, Katrina had said I'm more than welcome to use the piano and that if I wanted privacy I could just close the folding doors.  
  
I closed the doors and sat down at the piano, allowing my fingers to play whatever they wanted while my head buzzed with various ideas about what to get Kai.  
  
God, I couldn't even play the piano properly ever since I had realized that I had fallen for Kai.  
  
Wait, that was it! I was struck with inspiration and suddenly knew what to get Kai...  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Happy birthday" a voice said cutting jolting my awake.  
  
"Huh?" I said groggily prying one eye open to see Akina's face smiling down on me.  
  
"So how does it feel to be 18?" she asked me when I sat up.  
  
"Same as being 17" I responded.  
  
"Look, I made you breakfast" she said proudly and sure enough I saw a tray sitting on my bedside table.  
  
"Why?" I questioned her as I grudgingly accepted the tray.  
  
"Why?" she said laughing. "Because it's your birthday"  
  
"You didn't have to" I said taking a sip of my coffee.  
  
"I wanted to. Anyway, since I'm here I'll eat with you too" she responded lifting up another tray from my desk.  
  
"I was going to make you waffles instead of toast, but I thought you might not like them" she trailed off taking a bite of her waffles.  
  
"Well thanks" I said after we had finished.  
  
"Oh, Tala called asking if we wanted to go clubbing tonight" she told me.  
  
"When did Tala call?" I asked her.  
  
"Oh, umm he called me last night" she answered.  
  
"Really?" I said absently.  
  
"Yes really" Akina said firmly.  
  
"Okay then, I suppose I'll call him and tell him we're going" I said getting up.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I already told him that we'd go" she said dismissively.  
  
The intercom in my room crackled to life.  
  
"Kai dear, you have a visitor" mum said.  
  
"Who is it?" I said frowning in confusion. Tala, Rei and Mariah knew better than to come this early. They knew I liked to sleep for half the day.  
  
"I think you better come down and see for yourself" she replied before ending the conversation.  
  
"I suppose I should change" I said making my way to the closet.  
  
"Why bother?" Crystal said lightly before disappearing out of my room with trays, heading towards the kitchen I assumed.  
  
I shrugged. She was right. Why bother changing.  
  
I headed downstairs and stopped in my tracks.  
  
Lying on a couch in the lounge was Melissa.  
  
"Kai, sweetie," she purred getting up and making her way towards me.  
  
I instinctively took a step back.  
  
"Melissa, what are you doing here?" I asked her.  
  
"I came here to give you your birthday present" she said and handed me a rectangular something wrapped in gold paper.  
  
"Err, thanks. You didn't have to" I finally said after looking down at the present in my hand.  
  
"Oh but I wanted to" she said pressing herself against me.  
  
I cursed in my head for I was only wearing my blue boxers.  
  
"Kai, who's here" Crystal called out from the kitchen before entering the lounge. "Oh" she said surprised and I saw her blue orbs flood with amusement.  
  
"Hiwatari-sama, it appears that you have another visitor" the maid informed me before briskly walking away.  
  
What, another visitor? Probably Tala and the gang. But if it was them, then wouldn't the maid have told me it was them? Before I could extend that thought an annoyingly chirpy voice interrupted my thoughts.  
  
"Hey sexy" it said and stepping away from Melissa, I turned to the doorway to see Mia.  
  
What the hell, was it bitch day today or something?  
  
"Who are you?" Melissa questioned airily, turning up her nose at Mia's lumpy figure.  
  
I darted a glance over to Akina only to see her eyes widen further and sparkled with laughter.  
  
I scowled, she obviously found this whole situation entertaining.  
  
"I am Mia, who are you?" she answered back.  
  
"I'm Melissa Tan," Melissa shot back with a sniff.  
  
"Whatever, anyway Kai I came by to drop off your present" Mia said and shoved a brown parcel into the same hand as I held Melissa's. At least her parcel was smaller so it was easy enough for me to carry the both in the same hand.  
  
"Gee Kai, don't you just feel so overwhelmed?" Akina said lightly and Mia and Melissa turned to her in surprise  
  
"What are you doing here?" Melissa asked her remembering that she was here as well.  
  
"I live here. What are you doing here?" Akina replied innocently.  
  
"What? You live here? You're lying" Mia spluttered.  
  
"No I'm not lying. I'm living here temporarily." Akina said before turning to me. "By the way Kai, do you want your shirt back now?"  
  
"Which one?" I asked her.  
  
"You borrow Kai's shirts?" Melissa asked scowling.  
  
"Well I borrowed this one last night" Akina responded sweetly indicating the black shirt she had on.  
  
Flash back  
  
"Where are you going Akina?" I asked her when I saw her headed for the garage.  
  
"I'm going to my house to pick up some clothes." She responded pausing by the door.  
  
"What now?" I said looking out the window to see that it was already dark.  
  
"Yes now. I don't have any more P.Js. Do you expect me to sleep in this?" she said gesturing towards her demin skirt, bikini and my shirt.  
  
"It's late. Why didn't you go pick it up earlier?" I questioned her.  
  
"I forgot. I only just realized I was out of clean clothes" she said sheepishly.  
  
"Go tomorrow morning" I told her.  
  
"Would you like to sleep in this?" she said pointing to her clothes once again.  
  
"Borrow one of my shirts" I said with a sigh turning to head up the stairs.  
  
"What again?" she called out after me.  
  
End of Flashback  
  
Akina crossed the room to stand next to me. Smirking I stepped behind her and looped my arms around her waist while she leaned her head back against my chest.  
  
"Why don't we go back to bed?" she suggested slyly and we both watched Melissa and Mia boil with anger out of the corner of our eyes.  
  
"You know that's a great idea" I whispered loud enough for them to hear.  
  
"Later Melissa and Mia thanks for stopping by" I called out as I lifted Akina up into my arms.  
  
"Bye girls" she said giggling as her face reddened.  
  
I scowled when Akina collapsed onto my bed in a fit of giggles after I set her down on it.  
  
"What? I can't help myself if I found the entire exchange highly amusing" she said between her giggles. "What'd they get you anyway?"  
  
"I dunno" I said and shook the golden box which I had received from Melissa.  
  
"She didn't wrap it very well. I can't believe she wrapped your present in gold. It looks very gaudy" Akina remarked stretching out lazily on my bed.  
  
"Well Melissa is very gaudy" I added and began to unwrap the box.  
  
"Err, it's very nice?" Akina commented when I opened the box to see a gold photo frame with a picture of Melissa in a revealing bikini plastered inside it.  
  
"Oh god what did I ever do to deserve this?" I moaned as Akina hurriedly turned the photo frame over.  
  
"This isn't even plated in real gold" she said studying the frame.  
  
"Like I would like it even if it was" I said rolling my eyes.  
  
"Open up the card" Akina instructed me.  
  
"No thanks. I'd rather not. You're more then welcome to open it if you wish" I told her.  
  
"Well in that case then..." Akina said and pulled the card out of the envelope. "Surprise, surprise, its gold too. That girl sure loves her gold"  
  
There was a pause while Akina scanned the card.  
  
"It has her picture in it. How very original" she said dryly.  
  
"I don't even want to look at it" I muttered underneath my breath.  
  
"Moving on, I wonder what Mia got you" Akina mused and I handed her the brown parcel.  
  
"Be my guest" I said dryly.  
  
"If you insist" she replied with a shrug and peeled away the brown paper. "Ooh, what a coincidence you now have two photos from your admirers" she said flashing a fluro yellow photo frame with a photo of Mia inside.  
  
"Oh great" I groaned.  
  
"Hey, look on the bright side, at least she's not wearing a bikini" Akina said with a smile. "I suppose you want me to check out the card too?"  
  
"You're more than welcome to it" I said flatly.  
  
"Hmm, interesting." Akina said sarcastically as she flicked the card open and read through it. "Don't you think that it's kinda freaky that Mia and Melissa both got you the same thing?"  
  
I shrugged in reply.  
  
"I suppose the quote 'great minds think alike' would also apply to stupid minds?" Akina said thoughtfully and I smirked.  
  
"Besides, it's the thought that counts" Akina reminded me.  
  
"Well I don't want their thoughts" I answered.  
  
"Maybe they couldn't think of anything else to buy you. You're very hard to buy for you know." She said matter-of-factly.  
  
"I'm hurt" I said mockingly.  
  
"Are you ready to go yet?" I asked later that night as I knocked on her bedroom door.  
  
"Yeah. So what do you think?" she said stepping out of her room and twirling around.  
  
"Nice" I said absently.  
  
"Kai, a suggestion for next time. Next time you tell a girl they look nice, look at them first okay?" Akina said rolling her eyes.  
  
I looked at her. Akina was dressed in a white peasant skirt which flowed down to her knees in layers and a pink flowered top. Her hair flowed over her shoulders in smooth waves and several random strands had been twisted tightly into tiny plaits.  
  
"Well come on, let's go" she said and we headed towards the garage.  
  
"I suppose Tala said he'd meet us there?" I enquired as we pulled up to Sirens.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah, he did" Crystal answered when we stepped out of the car.  
  
"Come on" she said and tugged at my hand.  
  
When we entered the club, it was dark.  
  
"Maybe they're not open tonight" I said.  
  
Without warning, the lights flashed on to illuminate a large group of people gathered around a table piled with presents and a gigantic cake.  
  
"What-" I began but was interrupted with a SURPRISE!  
  
"Happy birthday Kai" Tala said approached us.  
  
"Huh?" I said still confused.  
  
"You're so slow sometimes you know that?" Rei said shaking his head.  
  
"Well allow me to break it down for you. Crystal planned this surprise party for you" Mariah explained before leaning in to whisper, "I think it helped provide a distraction from the whole Adam thing"  
  
"Crystal" I said and turned to her.  
  
"Yeah" she turning her attention from the people she was talking to to me.  
  
"You planned this by yourself?" I questioned her.  
  
"Well, Rei, Tala and Mariah helped too of course" she replied.  
  
"Not really. All we did was help you decorate and pick a D.J" Tala protested.  
  
"Well thanks anyway" I told them before glancing around. "Who are all these people anyway?"  
  
"Rent-a-crowd" Rei said with a grin.  
  
"Idiot" Mariah muttered poking him. "They're people from school."  
  
"Oh right" I said.  
  
About an hour into the party, Crystal suggested that I cut the cake and soon everybody was clustered around me and the cake.  
  
Looking at it I almost fainted. They expected me to cut this?  
  
The cake sat on the table and towered at three layers high. It had blue frosting and the words 'Happy Birthday Kai' was iced at the top in white. 18 Purple candles surrounded it and I wondered what was inside.  
  
"It's chocolate" Crystal said answering my unasked question.  
  
There was a moment of silence before everybody sang happy birthday. God, I felt like I was 5 again.  
  
"Make a wish" Crystal reminded me as I took a breath to blow out all the candles in one go.  
  
As usual, there was some smart ass who called out that if I touched the bottom, I'd have to kiss the nearest girl.  
  
At that the majority of the girls moved forward.  
  
Like I wanted to kiss any of them.  
  
Rolling my eyes I slid the knife to the bottom, swearing to push anybody who tried anything.  
  
I felt something brush against me and I looked down to see Crystal. She seemed to have been pushed nearer to me since several girls had moved forward.  
  
"Sorry" she said sheepishly.  
  
"Ooh, Crystal's the closest! Kiss, kiss, kiss!" somebody called out and soon a chant started up. "Kiss, kiss, kiss!"  
  
My eyes flickered to Crystal who was flushed.  
  
When we made eye contact, her blush intensified and she lowered her gaze. Sighing, I leaned forward and brushed my lips against her cheek for a brief moment before pulling away and the crowd cheered while several girls shot Crystal looks of envy her way.  
  
After the cake was cut and served to everybody, I began opening presents.  
  
I got watches, several stuffed toys, wallets, books and numerous other things.  
  
I finally came to the last present which was wrapped up carefully in silver metallic paper and attached to it was a card in a matching envelope.  
  
Opening the envelope, I saw that it had a pink penguin on the front. Without opening the card, I could already tell who it was from. Inside it read:  
  
Dear Kai, Happy Birthday! Hope you like the presents. I wasn't really quite sure what to get you....have I mentioned that you are incredibly difficult to buy for? Anyway, hope you have a great day, remember you only turn 18 once! May all your wishes and dreams come true. Love Akina  
  
Closing the card, I carefully set it aside and turned to the gift which was smaller than the card and small enough to fit into my palm with ease. I unwrapped it and opened up the black box. It was it jewelry?  
  
It was a small set of silver keys.  
  
Huh? I thought and shot a questioning look at Crystal.  
  
"The other half is in your garage." She replied shrugging. "Also, I wouldn't throw the card away just yet"  
  
What did that mean? I must've missed something I thought and looked in the envelope. Sure enough there was small disc in a clear blue case inside.  
  
"What's on it?" I asked her.  
  
"Put it in your computer and see" she said mysteriously before disappearing onto the dance floor.  
  
"So, how'd you like your party?" Tala asked me when everybody had left but the five of us.  
  
"It was good" I answered.  
  
"Just good?" Rei joked. "I'm going to tell Crystal that"  
  
I followed his glance to see Crystal carefully placing the leftover cake in a container.  
  
"You guys can go ahead and leave" she said gesturing for us to go. "I'll be fine. Just about everything's cleaned up now. Kai, don't forget all your gifts either"  
  
"Are you sure?" Mariah asked.  
  
"Of course, go ahead. I'll see you at school on Monday" she assured her. "Kai, you can go ahead and leave too. I'll take a taxi back after I'm done"  
  
"Okay then. See ya" Rei said.  
  
"Yeah, later" Tala added before they left.  
  
About 20 minutes later, Crystal had finished taking care of everything.  
  
"Kai" she said in surprise when she caught sight of me at the exit. "I thought that you had already left"  
  
"Leave? Like I was going to let you get back to the house by yourself in the middle of the night" I said. "What kinda of person would I be if I did?"  
  
"It would've been perfectly safe. It's not like I would've walked or anything. I'd take a taxi. I'm not stupid" she shot back.  
  
"Even so..." I trailed off. "Anything could happen to you"  
  
So how'd you like this chapter? Long enough for you? I think it's like the longest so far yeah? I've just re-read the previous chapter and realized that it is a bit exaggerated that Kai has 5 girls asking him out everyday. I don't mean to insult the female population or anything. It's not like they're all desperate...well perhaps some of them (*cough, cough* Melissa) but not of them are all desperate...they just all really uhh..like him? A lot? But come on its Kai....need I say more? I've also gotten some flames about Crystal/Akina's character and how she's too perfect, has no flaws, etc, etc. Well uhh..I'm not really quite sure what to say to that.*scratched head* Just that after chapter 40 you might not think she's so perfect after all.. Anyway please review and tell me what you think okay? What's on the disc that Akina gave to Kai? All that and more will be revealed in the next chapter which will probably be up..ummz..Friday hopefully? 


	39. Chapter 39: Is obsession deadly?

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 39: Is obsession deadly?  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
Here I was, once again, staring at the ceiling when I was suppose to be sleeping but was instead thinking about Kai.  
  
God, I admit to myself that I like him and all of a sudden I can't get him out of my head.  
  
My hand unconsciously reached up to touch the spot on my cheek where Kai had kissed me earlier and I felt myself blush in the darkness.  
  
I wonder if he likes my present. I wondered and bit my lip. It was so hard thinking of what to get him. Stupid idiot.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
The next day, I sat at the computer and searched through the pile of gifts for Akina's disc.  
  
I had already received the first half of her gift last night when we had got back.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Your present should be around here somewhere" Akina mumbled casting her eye around the garage after we had gotten back from the club. "There it is!" she exclaimed and made a beeline towards a lump covered with a black sheet.  
  
"Ta-da!" she said whipping off the sheet to reveal two gleaming motorcycles, one was coated in a dark glossy metallic blue while the other was painted in classic black producing an overall sleekness.  
  
"Two?" I asked her in surprise.  
  
"Yeah" she said sheepishly. "I didn't know which color you'd prefer between the two so I thought why not get both of them?"  
  
"Thanks" I said.  
  
End of flashback  
  
Sighing at Akina's indecision about the bikes, I opened up the disk drive and placed the c.d in.  
  
The media window opened up and I promptly pressed the play button.  
  
Akina's face filled the screen for a moment before she backed away from the camera.  
  
"Hey Kai-kun!" she said and waved.  
  
"Umm.." She said hesitating. "I decided to play this song for you. I would've played for you in person but..." She trailed off and looked down at her hands, a light blush spreading over her cheeks. "Anyway I hope you like it. Although knowing you, you probably won't since I wrote it myself and it's not really any good"  
  
With that the camera swung around to show her walking over to a piano and sitting down.  
  
There was a moment of silence before she placed her fingers over the keys and a soft tinkling of notes sounded.  
  
"When my world was dark, you lit it up. You picked me up when I was down. Because of you, I saw the light. Because of you, I found my way.  
  
But what I feel inside must not be told. For I myself am unsure. I want to tell you, but I'm too afraid. I don't want it to be this way.  
  
I can't stop this feeling no matter what, This is just a fond I love you, to show you that I care.  
  
People always told me, what love was like. But back then, I never understood. Now that I've found you, I realize That what they said was true.  
  
But what I feel inside must not be told. For I myself am unsure. I want to tell you, but I'm too afraid. I don't want to this way.  
  
My heart is yours, I give it to you. And I hope it isn't alone.  
  
Two hearts, one love...."  
  
Her voice grew faint and eventually she lifted her hands up from the piano.  
  
"Umm," she said looking up. "Happy birthday Kai"  
  
The screen faded out and I leaned back in my chair.  
  
During the song, her eyes had softened to a soft clear crystal blue with only the tiniest hint of emerald shining underneath.  
  
Weird, I had never seen her eyes turn that color before.  
  
My mobile which had been in my pocket began to vibrate and I picked it up.  
  
"Hello?" I asked.  
  
"Hey Kai" Rei's voice answered.  
  
"Hey, what's up?" I said.  
  
"Nothing much" he replied. "What'd Crystal end up getting you for your birthday?"  
  
"Motorcycles" I responded.  
  
"Motorcycles? As in plural?" Rei asked in surprise.  
  
"Yeah. She bought me two. Said she couldn't decide which color I'd like" I said with a smirk.  
  
"Whoa, dude. But I suppose its okay since she's liked loaded yeah?" Rei commented.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose so." I said and I remembered something which I had been meaning to ask Rei but had kept forgetting for some time now. "Hey Rei, you know Chinese yeah?"  
  
"Yeah. I know some. Depends on the dialect" Rei said.  
  
"Would you mind translating something for me?" I asked him.  
  
"Sure. What is it?" he said.  
  
"Wo ai ni" I said as the words came to mind.  
  
There was a pause on his end.  
  
"Rei? So do you know what it means?" I questioned him.  
  
"Dude, wo ai ni means I love you" Rei said after a moment.  
  
"What?" I exclaimed hardly believing it.  
  
"Where'd you hear it from anyway?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Huh?" I said and contemplated about what to tell him. Better not tell him I heard it from Crystal. Knowing him, he'd make a big deal out of it or something. "Just heard it from t.v"  
  
"Oh, okay then" he said. "Hey, do you mind if I drop by and check out the bikes?"  
  
"Sure. Are you going to call Tala as well?" I said absently.  
  
"Yeah, probably. We'll drop by in the afternoon okay?" Rei asked.  
  
"See you then" I said and hung up.  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
Sighing, I wondered whether Kai had watched the disc already. The song was so stupid, even if it was based on what I felt for Kai. Took me practically the entire two days to compose it.  
  
There was a sharp knock at my door before it swung open to reveal Kai standing there.  
  
"Hey, Tala and Rei are dropping by to check out the bikes" he said before going off down the hall.  
  
His attitude at times like this really made me wonder why the hell I liked him.  
  
I mean like, did he expect me to get up and follow him down to the garage or what?  
  
Shrugging, I got up and trailed behind him to the garage.  
  
It wasn't long until we were joined by Tala and Rei.  
  
"Whoa dude, this is too cool" Rei said admiringly.  
  
"Yeah, aren't these the latest models? I thought they weren't going to be out until a month or two later" Tala added.  
  
"Yeah, actually they're not released to the public for another 10 weeks" I remarked.  
  
"Huh? Then how'd you get them?" Rei asked confused.  
  
"Connections" I replied with a shrug.  
  
After Rei and Tala finished admiring the bikes and had a go on them, they left.  
  
Later..........  
  
I stared hard at the black piece of paper lying in front of me.  
  
I was supposed to be writing an essay about the Russian revolutions but yet nothing came to mind. It wasn't as if I hadn't done any research, I had gone to the library and borrowed a few books.  
  
But yet.....  
  
What is the matter with me?  
  
Groaning I allowed my head to drop to the dining table with a thump.  
  
Ouch.  
  
I winced, lifted it back up and rubbed the sore spot gingerly.  
  
Serves me right for being so careless.  
  
Sighing, I leaned back in my chair closed my eyes and Kai drifted into my mind.  
  
My eyes flickered open and I scowled in frustration.  
  
This was beyond stupid.  
  
Sure, I had liked a few guys before, but never like this. This was utterly ridiculous.  
  
I needed to get him out of my system now.  
  
But how to do that?  
  
Go out with another guy?  
  
Nah that never worked.  
  
Maybe I should just tell him how I feel. Then maybe this madness could stop.  
  
It was only a matter of time before I got hit by a car just because I was too busy obsessing over Kai.  
  
I yawned and glanced at the clock. It was nearly 12. I could probably finish this essay in an hour or so if I could just concentrate. I idly allowed my hand to scribble a few sketchy outlines and I looked closer to see that it had formed Chinese characters. I was surprised at how they still seemed to flow automatically even though I had barely written anything in Chinese since coming to Tokyo. I glanced at the characters absently and frowned. At first I had thought that they were merely various characters but on closer inspection I found that they had formed several words.  
  
In English they read:  
  
I love the blue haired boy.  
  
I scowled in frustration and pushed the paper aside. Must this happen to me of all people?  
  
I returned to my work but not before stifling another yawn.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I glanced wearily at the flickering red numbers on my digital clock to see that it was 1.00am. Better get to sleep soon I thought vaguely and then went to change into a pair of boxers.  
  
When I was climbing into bed, I suddenly realized how thirsty I was and decided to take a quick trip down to the kitchen to get a glass of water before going to bed.  
  
As I was passing the dining room on the way to the kitchen, I was surprised to see a dim light on. I frowned and glanced into the doorway, figuring I'd turn off the light.  
  
I came to a stop when I saw Akina, her head resting on top of a few papers, fast asleep. Her silky midnight black hair tumbled over her shoulder blades and her chest rose lightly with each breath she took.  
  
I rolled my eyes as I crossed the room to stand next to her.  
  
How typical of her to fall asleep here I scoffed mentally. She could probably fall asleep anywhere I thought as I surveyed her wondering if I should wake her.  
  
On one hand, I could wake her up but she seemed to sleeping quite peacefully.  
  
Sighing, I went with option 2 and lifted her up gently from her seat. As I did so, I noticed a few characters faintly drawn onto a sheet of paper and I leaned down for a closer look, balancing Akina carefully in my arms.  
  
I recognized some of the characters as kanji but put together, they made no sense to me and I concluded that they weren't Japanese kanji characters but Chinese characters.  
  
Shrugging, I walked out of the dining room with Akina soundly asleep in my arms, flicking off the light switch on the way out, forgetting all about my thirst.  
  
Okay, yeah I know this chapter kinda sucked but next chapter will be a bit better okay? The only bit I liked in this chapter was that last bit. I wrote the song lyrics myself so that's why they're really bad, I'm crap at writing lyrics. Please remember to review. Ummmmz.....Sorry but I don't think I'll be able to update for another week so probably check back this time next week or something.. 


	40. Chapter 40: Confession in the rain

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 40: Confession in the rain  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
The rooms hazily swung into focus as I rubbed my eyes.  
  
Huh?  
  
How'd I get back to my room? I could've sworn that I didn't come back up from the dining room. I frowned in confusion as I attempted to recall what had happened last night. I had been studying in the dining room, for that I was certain of and I was also fairly sure that I had eventually fallen asleep down there too.  
  
So how the hell did I get here?  
  
I probably woke up in the middle of the night and dragged myself upstairs while I was still half asleep I finally concluded before sighing and rolling over in my bed as thoughts of Kai invaded my mind. My cheeks flushed as I dreamily remembered the feeling of his hard chiseled body pressed against mine when he tackled me that day at the beach.  
  
Oh god, this was seriously getting sad. If Mariah was here she'd probably slap me I thought vaguely in amusement as I opened my bedroom door.  
  
"Good morning Kai-kun" I greeted him as I caught sight of his blue head down the hall.  
  
"Morning" he grunted as usual.  
  
"Sleep well?" I asked cheerfully.  
  
His response was a shrug. "Would I be right to assume that you had a good sleep?"  
  
"Well not so much as a good sleep but a good dream" I said absently.  
  
"Oh really? What'd you dream about?" Kai inquired curiously.  
  
Crap, I couldn't tell him what my dream was about since I had dreamt about him once again I thought as my cheeks became tinged with pink.  
  
"Oh nothing in particular" I replied vaguely and my mind raced to come up with a suitable topic to switch to. "You know what's really weird?"  
  
"What?" Kai answered in a bored tone.  
  
"I have no recollection of how I got back to my room after studying last night" I remarked casually.  
  
"You fell asleep in the dining room" Kai said.  
  
"Yeah, I remember that bit but I don't know how I got back upstairs" I said.  
  
There was a pause before Kai responded. "I took you back up"  
  
"Really?" I asked in disbelief stopping to look at him.  
  
"Yes really" he said with a roll of his eyes.  
  
"Aww that's so sweet of you Kai-kun" I teased him and he scowled.  
  
"Whatever" he said before continuing down the corridor.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
I frowned as I glanced over at Akina at the breakfast table a week later.  
  
She had been looking a bit lost lately. Like she'd stare off into space for long periods of time.  
  
But this was different from the whole Adam thing.  
  
Yes, she stared off into nothingness, but a smile would grace her lips and the expression on her face was different, almost dreamlike.  
  
Weird.  
  
"What do you plan on doing today?" I questioned her.  
  
"Nothing much" she said looking up from her breakfast and turning to look out of the window. "Maybe I'll go for a walk"  
  
"Akina, it's raining" I pointed out to her.  
  
"Yeah, I know." She replied. "I don't mind the rain"  
  
"You'll get a cold" I told her.  
  
"Doubtful. I don't get sick often. The last time I was sick was like three years ago" she answered. "Did you want to come with me?"  
  
"Yeah okay" I said with a shrug. It's not like I had anything better to do.  
  
"Come on, let's go Kai-kun" Akina said as she opened up the door and umbrella. "One umbrella will be enough"  
  
"Okay, okay" I grumbled stepped out after her.  
  
"Here, you hold the umbrella" Akina instructed holding it out to me.  
  
"Why me?" I muttered as I reluctantly took the umbrella from her.  
  
"Cause you're taller. Makes more sense" she answered sticking her tongue out at me.  
  
"Whatever" I grunted and we walked along the street in silence, the rain pattering down on the umbrella.  
  
"Let's go to the park" she suggested after we had strolled past several streets and came to a stop in front of it.  
  
I shrugged in reply as we followed the path down to the lake.  
  
"Wish I bought some bread" she said wistfully as she looked at the ducks paddling around happily in the rain.  
  
We stood for several moments in silence, watching the lake break out in ripples from the raindrops.  
  
I felt a tremble go through Akina and saw that she had begun to shiver. I would've offered her my jacket but I remembered that I had left it hanging in my wardrobe.  
  
Instead I reluctantly wrapped an arm around her shoulder.  
  
"Thanks Kai" she said smiling softly at me as she rested her body against mine lightly.  
  
"Kai?" Akina spoke up quietly after a while.  
  
"Yeah, what?" I replied shifting my attention to her.  
  
"Umm.." she trailed off when we made eye contact and she blushed slightly. "Kai, I think that.." she paused once again to take a deep breath. "I think that I'm in love with you"  
  
What?  
  
Where the hell did this come from?  
  
Well I suppose it made sense; after all I am a god. It's not my fault that girls threw themselves at my feet 24/7. But Akina.......  
  
My mind swiftly shifted into mental rewind and I was hit with memories of Akina blushing whenever we came into close contact and I cursed in my head. Why hadn't I noticed it before? There were so many signs. It was so obvious to me now. If only I had realized her feelings for me were so strong then perhaps I could've put a stop to them earlier before it had to come to this.  
  
Fuck, this was not good.  
  
The best thing to do right now was to set things straight with her before things become too complicated.  
  
Yeah, give her the cold shoulder so that she'd move on. Express no emotions to her whatsoever.  
  
"Akina," I began in a cool tone, wondering exactly how I should phrase this. "I don't feel the same way"  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
The moment he had hesitated, I knew.  
  
But even so, when his words left his mouth, I couldn't stop the disappointment that was flooding through me.  
  
Get out of here before you make an idiot of yourself I told myself harshly.  
  
I ran and ran my desire to get away fueled me and soon Kai wasn't in sight. When I could run no more, I fell down to the ground on my knees.  
  
Sure, I had a feeling that he wouldn't return these feelings but still why did I feel so empty inside? The reason why I had decided to tell him how I felt was because I thought it would get him out of my system. I had no idea it would be like this.  
  
Tears clouded my vision and I told myself firmly not to cry.  
  
Crying shows weakness. I am not weak. The last time I had cried was when mum had passed away. Compared to that, what had just happened should be nothing. But yet, there were unstoppable and in a heartbeat, they spilled over and streamed down my face, mingling with the rain.  
  
Exhausted from my running, I collapsed onto the ground while my heart slowly shattered into millions of pieces.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Shit.  
  
Where the hell had she gone?  
  
Before I had a chance to react, she had taken off and I wasn't able to catch up.  
  
It was raining and difficult to see so there was no telling where she could've gone to.  
  
She'd be soaked since I still had possession of the umbrella.  
  
Scowling, I took out my phone and tried to reach her.  
  
No luck, all I had gotten was her voice mail.  
  
Cursing, I headed back towards the house.  
  
She probably went to Mariah's anyway I said in an attempt to reassure myself.  
  
Several hours later, I was pacing my room, my phone in my hand.  
  
After getting back, I thought it'd be best to leave her to Mariah. I'd be the last person she'd want to see right now.  
  
But now, I wasn't sure that that was such a good idea.  
  
I punched in Mariah's number and waited impatiently for her to pick up.  
  
"Hello?" Mariah answered with a giggle. "Rei stop it" she said in the background.  
  
"Mariah, is Crystal with you?" I questioned her ignoring her giggles and Rei's mumbles in the background.  
  
"No why?" she said concern creeping into her voice.  
  
"She ran off when we went for a walk in the rain this morning" I answered, reluctant to tell her the whole story.  
  
"Well what are you waiting for? Go and find her!" Mariah practically shouted into the phone.  
  
"Okay, okay" I said holding the phone away from my ear. "Will you check with Tala?"  
  
"Yeah, just get going already" Mariah told me and hung up with a click.  
  
Sighing, I descended down the stairs and was just about to leave when my mother called out to me.  
  
"Kai, where are you going? It's getting dark already" she said appearing in the lobby.  
  
"Going to find Akina" I responded shortly as I shrugged on a jacket.  
  
"Why? What happened to her?" mum asked sharply.  
  
"She ran off when we were walking in the rain earlier" I replied before leaving.  
  
Better take the car I thought and put the top up.  
  
Cruising up and down the streets in the rain, I sighed. It was becoming dark and the street lights slowly flickered on one by one and lit up the roadside with an eerie glow.  
  
Shit, it'd be hard to find Akina in the dark. I scowled and slammed my fist on the steering wheel. This was not good. It wouldn't be safe after dark. I went past a street and spotted something in the distance.  
  
I sped up and pulled up to the figure lying on the ground.  
  
It was Akina.  
  
I jumped out and ran over to her.  
  
She was soaked through and shivering uncontrollably.  
  
I leaned over and picked her up carefully.  
  
"Kai?" she asked faintly as her eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Shhh" I told her and sat her up in the passenger seat.  
  
When we arrived back to the house, my mother was standing at the front door.  
  
"Get her upstairs immediately" she instructed and I went up to Akina's room.  
  
I gently lowered her down onto her bed while mum called a doctor.  
  
"The doctor will be here shortly" she announced after she had gotten off the phone. "In the meantime, we should changed her out of these clothes"  
  
I crossed to my closet to pull out a pair of loose black pants and a blue shirt and I handed them wordlessly to my mother before exiting the room.  
  
It wasn't long until the doctor arrived and he examined Akina.  
  
"She's got a fever" he declared after taking her temperature. "She's switching from being ice cold to boiling hot in seconds. There's not much you can really do while she's like this. Just keep her comfortable."  
  
"What about medication?" mum asked.  
  
"When she wakes up, she should take these three times a day" he said placing a bottle of tablets on the bedside table. "She should wake up in a day"  
  
"Thank-you" mum told him and ushered him out of the room.  
  
Akina lay flushed on the bed, her breathing short and shallow.  
  
Swearing I was hit with a wave of regret and guilt. I should've tried harder to chase her earlier.  
  
My phone suddenly rang and I dug it out of my pocket.  
  
"Kai, did you find her?" Mariah's worried voice asked.  
  
"Yeah" I answered.  
  
"Is she okay?" Tala shouted into the phone.  
  
"She's got a fever" I said dully.  
  
I heard them curse before they informed me that they were coming tomorrow morning since it was too late to do so now.  
  
Sighing, I hung up and paced across the length of the room.  
  
"Kai?" my mother asked softly entering the room. "You should get some sleep"  
  
"How can I sleep when Akina is like this?" I retorted gesturing towards her.  
  
"Not getting enough rest won't help her Kai" mum advised sternly.  
  
I ran my hand through my hair with frustration. She was right.  
  
"Fine" I said and left the room, but not before taking another glance at Akina.  
  
Yeah, I know this chapter sucked, it wasn't as good as I thought it'd be. Anyway, review and tell me what you think, no flames please. I apologize for this chapter being posted up so late I've been really busy lately but I promise you that the next chapter will most likely be up by Thursday or Saturday okay? Thanks so much for all the reviews I've received. I love it when people begin reading my fic and then review every chapter. *gigglez* You guys are the best. If you would like me to e-mail you each time I update then please leave your e-mail address in a review and I'll send you an e-mail each time I update. Anyway, hopefully you'll be hearing from me again soon. 


	41. Chapter 41: Awkward awakenings

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 41: Awkward awakenings  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Scowling deeply with frustration, all I could do was watch as the clock hand slowly made its way around the clock face.  
  
It had been three days since I had found Akina in the rain.  
  
And she had yet to wake up.  
  
Flashback  
  
"I don't understand why she isn't awake yet" I had told the doctor impatiently. "Why isn't she awake? You said she'd be up the next day"  
  
"Well as far as I can see, there is no physical reason why she shouldn't be awake by now." The doctor answered patiently. "I am therefore forced to conclude that there is something psychologically wrong with her. Has she been through any traumatic experiences recently?"  
  
"Not that I am aware of" my mother replied.  
  
"Unless a PET scan is taken, we cannot confirm this. I'm afraid we'll just have to wait for her to wake up" the doctor responded.  
  
End of flashback  
  
Shifting my gaze from the clock I turned to glare at her.  
  
She was probably doing this on purpose.  
  
I knew that thought was stupid, but I couldn't help but think it. Shaking my head, I turned to stare at the clock once more.  
  
I had learnt from the past few days it was even more depressing to look at her. But I couldn't help myself and I turned to gaze at her once more, my chest tightening with guilt at the sight of her motionless body.  
  
Leaning forward slightly, my finger grazed against her cheek as I brushed a few silky locks out of her closed eyes.  
  
Without warning, a shock jolted up my arm and I instinctively pulled away from Akina.  
  
I paused for a moment to ponder what had shot up my arm but eventually dismissed as static electricity and traced my finger along her cheek.  
  
Mum had advised me to go to school, but I had refused to preferring to stay at home and watch the minutes tick by as Akina seemed to drift further and further away.  
  
My hand hastily jerked backwards when the door opened and Mariah, Rei and Tala entered quietly.  
  
"Hey Kai" they greeted me softly, shooting glances over at Akina.  
  
"Did the doctor come today?" Tala questioned.  
  
"Yeah" I responded.  
  
"So, what'd he say?" Mariah asked hopefully but her face fell when I shook my head.  
  
"He said that there might be some psychological reason as to why she's not awake" I answered.  
  
"Psychological reason? Such as what?" Rei said.  
  
The room fell silent when I didn't answer.  
  
"Kai, this isn't your fault" Tala finally assured me, breaking the silence.  
  
"You don't understand" I told him coldly. "It is my fault"  
  
"You can't blame yourself for what has happened" Rei added.  
  
"I can and I will. It's my fault that Crystal ran off in the rain. It's my fault that because I didn't try to find her sooner" I said shaking my head and staring down at the floor.  
  
"Kai," Mariah began hesitantly. "Why exactly did she run off in the rain?"  
  
Mariah's question was valid. I had told none of them what had really happened that day.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rei spinning around idly on the chair at Akina's desk. After he had spun past once, he turned back slowly to the desk to pick up a single sheet of paper, his eyes widening as he studied what was on the sheet.  
  
"Would Crystal running off in the rain have anything to do with this?" he enquired waving the paper at me.  
  
I crossed the room and took the paper from Rei to examine it closely. It was the same piece of paper with Chinese characters which I had caught sight of the night which I had carried Akina back up to her room.  
  
"Mind translating it for us?" I asked him frowning.  
  
"Okay, when translated it literally means I love the blue haired boy" Rei said after a moment's pause.  
  
The room lapsed into silence before Mariah broke it.  
  
"So that day in the rain-" she began hesitantly. "Crystal told you that she loved you"  
  
The room once again lapsed into silence when I didn't deny Mariah's statement.  
  
"How-" Tala began but everybody's attention was immediately shifted to the bed when Akina stirred.  
  
In a moment, everybody was crowded around the bed.  
  
"Crystal?" Mariah said. "Wake up!"  
  
"Mmm" she murmured before rolling over. "Sleep"  
  
"Get up already will you? You've been asleep for three days" Tala said impatiently.  
  
"Huh?" she said groggily as the thought processed in her head. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as she looked up to see me standing next to her bed.  
  
"You caught a fever from being out in the rain for too long" I informed her, relief spreading over me.  
  
"Really?" she aid vaguely blinking and looking around at us.  
  
"Yes really" Mariah said exasperated.  
  
"Oh" she simply said and looked down at her hands.  
  
"Well I suppose we better get going." Rei said checking his watch.  
  
"But Rei, Crystal only just woke up!" Mariah protested.  
  
"Mariah" Tala said pointedly looking at her.  
  
"What?" Mariah replied.  
  
"Come on" Rei said taking hold of her arm. "Get better soon Crystal"  
  
When they had all left I turned to Akina, wondering whether I should bring up what happened three days ago but in the end I decided against it. From the weary expression in her eyes, I figured now wasn't the best time.  
  
"You know what I think I'll get some more rest" she said interrupting my thoughts, averting her guarded eyes from mine.  
  
Sighing, I turned to leave the room.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
I can't believe what an idiot I was I thought; covering my face which was burning with embarrassment with my hands after Kai had finally left.  
  
I had been stupid enough to blurt out my feelings for him and now look what happened. I hadn't even planned on telling him how I really felt about him but at that moment it just popped out impulsively.  
  
Dammit! I couldn't even look at him without tears gathering in my eyes.  
  
Just thinking about what had happened.....I seriously didn't want to deal with it.  
  
That was why I had ran. I know I should face my problems, but at the moment, I didn't want to even think about it. So I ran so that I wouldn't have to think.  
  
So what was I to do now? Avoid him? I was temporarily living in the same house as him. Perhaps I should just move back to my house. Anyway, I was probably just a burden on him and his family.  
  
Closing my eyes I leaned against the bed head. What had I hoped to achieve anyway by telling him how I felt? Well for one I had hoped to get him out of my system. I suppose that had worked in some twisted way but my heart had only ended up getting broken in the process.  
  
Scowling I pushed the thoughts away. Tala had said that I had been asleep for three days. How could she sleep for three days yet still feel so damn tired?  
  
Stifling a groan, I flopped back onto my bed and closed my eyes.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Akina? Are you ready yet?" I called out through her door.  
  
"Yeah, just give me another moment" she responded her voice slightly muffled.  
  
After another minute, the door opened and we made our way down the stairs.  
  
"Is it because of this" I said and tugged at her hair which hung over her shoulders in two plaits, "You're running late?"  
  
"Huh? I'm not late." She said checking her slim silver wrist watch, "I'll have you know we're on time"  
  
"Right" I said rolling my eyes and opening the car door for her.  
  
"So do you think I'll have a lot to catch up on?" she questioned me as we pulled into the school's parking lot and made our way to our lockers.  
  
"Well you should be fine since you've done all the homework I bought for you." I responded shrugging. "Although, I don't know why you're worried. You could've probably not do the work and still be up to date"  
  
"I've missed nearly two weeks of school" Akina replied. "Because somebody wouldn't allow me to go"  
  
"What are you looking at me for?" I protested. True, I had insisted that Akina stay at home for another extra week. Only to ensure that she had recovered fully. It wouldn't do her any good to go to school while she was sick. She'd only get worse.  
  
"Oh gee, I dunno" she retorted sarcastically.  
  
"Akina, about what happened..." I began.  
  
"It's fine, really" she spoke softly before turning to open the car door and making her way towards Mariah.  
  
"Hey, you want to go clubbing tonight?" Tala asked Crystal at lunchtime.  
  
"Yeah sure why not?" she responded lazily.  
  
"It's a school night" I spoke up.  
  
"So what?" she said dismissively with a shrug.  
  
"So I think you shouldn't go" I replied.  
  
"I'll make my own choices thank you very much" she replied haughtily.  
  
Frowning at the computer screen later that evening, I tried to ignore the laughter that was floating out from Akina's room as she and Mariah were getting ready to go clubbing.  
  
I still couldn't believe that she had agreed to go clubbing. As far as I was concerned, she still needed to get her rest. The others had asked if I had wanted to come along but I had turned them down only because I had a truckload of homework and didn't particularly feel like having my father yell at me for not doing well in school.  
  
Suddenly, without warning my bedroom door swung open to reveal Mariah.  
  
"Mariah" I said in surprise.  
  
"Hey Kai. I was just wondering whether you could give us your opinion about how Crystal looks tonight" she replied and gestured for Crystal to step into the doorway. "Crystal" she said impatiently when Crystal obviously wouldn't budge and pulled her into the doorway.  
  
"So, Kai, what do you think?" Mariah questioned me, planting her hands on her hips as she watched me survey Crystal.  
  
Crystal was tugging at the hem of the white and baby pink pleated mini skirt which only ended halfway down her thigh in a vain attempt to make it cover more of her leg up. White legwarmers extended from under her knees and flared down leaving the top of her pink-heeled shoes to peek out from underneath. A matching baby pink halter top left half her stomach exposed while her dark hair which was streaked pink to match her outfit fell loosely around her shoulders. Her lips were tinted a glossy pink and her nails which were painted the same shade completed her outfit.  
  
"Would I be correct to assume from your staring and silence that Crystal looks damn hot?" Mariah questioned noticing my stare.  
  
I could only jerk my head in reply.  
  
"See I told you so" Mariah declared triumphantly to Crystal. "Just wait till all the guys at the club see you. They'll be absolutely drooling"  
  
"Umm, Mariah? Don't I look just a little bit slutty?" Crystal said shyly wrapping her arms around her exposed midriff. "I mean like isn't this just a little too much? We're only going clubbing after all"  
  
"Crystal, Crystal, Crystal," Mariah responded with a shake of her head. "My dear friend, to make an impact, you have to go to extremes"  
  
"But I don't want to make an impact"!" she protested.  
  
"Sure you do" Mariah assured her. "Now the guys should be arriving any minute to pick us up. See you later Kai. Have fun with your homework. Although why you would prefer to do homework than to go clubbing with us is beyond me"  
  
"Yeah, bye" Crystal echoed shutting the door behind them but not before shooting me a swift glance.  
  
I had a sinking feeling that Mariah had plans for Crystal tonight. Why else would she go through all the trouble of dressing her up?  
  
I sighed and leaned back in my chair. Maybe Mariah was right. Who the hell would rather do homework than go clubbing. God, had I turned into some geek or something?  
  
But it's not like I don't want to go clubbing. I do, it's just all this homework...  
  
An hour later I had finished my English essay. About bloody time too. It seemed to take forever. But it hadn't taken all night like I had thought it would've.  
  
My eyes darted towards the clock and I realized that I still had time to go clubbing.  
  
I grabbed my wallet and keys from my desk and descended down to the garage.  
  
It wasn't long until I had pulled into a parking lot at Sirens and made my way past the crowd and through the entrance.  
  
The club was pounding with techno music and I immediately began to scan the club for any signs of Crystal and the others. Upon catching sight of Rei and Mariah sitting at a table on the upper level, I quickly went up the spiral staircase to where they were sitting.  
  
"Hey Kai" Rei said in surprise when they looked up to see me.  
  
"I thought you weren't coming" Mariah said in confusion.  
  
"Yeah well I decided to change my mind" I said with a shrug as I wondered where Tala and Crystal could've gotten to.  
  
"If you're looking for Tala and Crystal" Rei began with a smirk when he saw me glancing around. "They'd be on the dance floor. It would seem that some of Tala's qualities have of recently rubbed off onto Crystal"  
  
"What do you mean by that?" I snapped turning to face him.  
  
"What Rei is trying to say" Mariah interrupted hurriedly as though sensing that I could explode any moment. "Is that Crystal's attitude towards guys has become like Tala's views on girls"  
  
"What?" I said still not understanding.  
  
"God, you're slower than usual today" Rei muttered.  
  
"Shut up" I told him before whipping around to face Mariah.  
  
"Basically, Crystal has decided to become a player or playette" Mariah said rolling her eyes.  
  
Bah, I got a flame for the last chapter. But then again I suppose that's understandable. While the last chapter didn't really suck that much it wasn't exactly my best. Sorry if things seem to be a bit rushed now but I didn't want to drag this fic out too long. Anyway, so what'd you think of this chap? Too dull? Review and tell me please, thanks heaps to those have reviewed. I'll probably update in let's see.......a week or so? 


	42. Chapter 42: Personality change in da clu...

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 42: Personality change in da club  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"What? Why the hell would Crystal become a player?" I snapped.  
  
"Rei was right, you really are slow." Mariah huffed. "In case you've forgotten, you were the one who turned Crystal down"  
  
"So? What does that have to do with Crystal being a player?" I questioned.  
  
"Boys" Mariah sighed before answering. "Crystal is hurt and Tala took her in and she in turn became a player in order to get over you"  
  
"But that's ridiculous" I spluttered. "She wouldn't do something as stupid as that"  
  
"Well love does make people do stupid things" she merely said with a shrug.  
  
"So are you saying that it's my fault that Crystal has become a player?" I asked her.  
  
"Nobody's blaming you Kai" Rei said to me.  
  
"What? If anybody's to blame its Kai" Mariah argued.  
  
"No Mariah, you can't blame Kai" Rei replied.  
  
"I can and I will" she responded stubbornly. "It was his fault since he turned Crystal down."  
  
"So I was supposed to lie to her and tell her that I had feelings for her when I didn't?" I snapped.  
  
"Yeah, well-" Mariah started before Rei cut her off by clamping his hand over her mouth.  
  
"I think you've said enough tonight Mariah" he lectured her before turning to me. "If you want my advice, I'd go and look for her and talk to her"  
  
"But I've tried, she said it was fine" I said remembering all my failed attempts this past week.  
  
"Well try again" Rei told me.  
  
"Fine" I said with a sigh and scanned the dance floor for Crystal.  
  
I scowled when I spotted her dancing with a blonde guy near the front.  
  
I made a beeline for her and tapped her on the shoulder when I reached her.  
  
"Hiwatari" her eyes widened in surprise when she faced me. "I thought you weren't coming tonight"  
  
"Changed my mind" I stated shortly taking in the blonde guy who had his arms wrapped around her waist. "Who's this?"  
  
"Huh? Oh this is-" she said as she struggled to come up with a name.  
  
"Chris" the guy responded.  
  
"Oh right. Chris. Well this is Hiwatari" she said gesturing towards me before she turned back to him.  
  
"Akina, we need to talk" I interrupted them when Chris began shamelessly flirting with her.  
  
"Talk? About what?" she asked confused.  
  
"You know what" I said impatiently as I glared at Chris who had begun to nuzzle Akina's neck.  
  
"No I don't know what" Akina replied. "Anyway, a club isn't exactly the best place to talk"  
  
With that she resumed dancing with Chris as I retreated to the edge of the dance floor.  
  
Why was she like this? I thought scowling as I watch her leave Chris and move onto a chestnut haired guy. When would she stop?  
  
"Umm" a hesitant voice spoke up and I turned around to see a plain looking red-haired girl. "I was wondering if you'd like to dance"  
  
I paused for a moment, pondering my answer. On one hand, I could play the same game as Akina. But then again on the other hand, it might backfire on me and Akina's behavior might only change even more.  
  
"No thanks" I finally decided and ignored the disappointed look in the girl's face.  
  
Hey, at least I was nice about it. Normally I couldn't care less since heaps of girls seemed to come onto me. I can't help it if I'm good looking.  
  
I turned my attention back to Akina who was now dancing with yet another different guy. That was what, four different guys in 15mins? I frowned as I studied the guy she was currently dancing with.  
  
Wait a moment. Isn't that Tala?  
  
I pushed my way through the dancers until I approached them.  
  
"Tala" I stated as I came to a stop in front of them.  
  
"Hey Kai" Tala answered casually. "I didn't think you were coming tonight"  
  
"Changed my mind" I replied noting that I seemed to have said that several times tonight.  
  
"Oh, well then why aren't you dancing?" he questioned as Akina leaned her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Don't partically feel like it" I bit back.  
  
"Oh, well then why did you come in the first place?" he asked but when I didn't' respond he turned to Akina. "So, how have you fared so far?"  
  
"Extremely well" she replied with a devilish grin.  
  
"I'm not surprise. You look really hot tonight" Tala said as he slung his arm around her shoulder.  
  
"Why thank you. You don't look so bad yourself" Akina responded with a giggle.  
  
My eyes widened. Was I imagining things or was Tala hitting on Akina?  
  
"Wanna dance?" he offered her, obviously forgetting that I was standing right behind them.  
  
"Sure" she said with a shrug and accepted his hand.  
  
"Hey" Rei greeted as he and Mariah appeared next to us.  
  
"Hey" I grunted in reply still keeping an eye on Akina.  
  
"Ooh, looks like Tala's putting his moves on Crystal" Mariah observed.  
  
"Tala will not be putting any moves on her" I snapped in annoyance.  
  
"Am I sensing a little streak of jealousy?" Mariah teased.  
  
"I am not jealous" I insisted pushing a nagging feeling away. "I just don't want to see Crystal get hurt. We all know what a player Tala is"  
  
"Sure, we're all more than aware of that. But Tala wouldn't play with Crystal." Rei said with a shrug.  
  
"Anyway, even if he does put his moves on Crystal, then what are you going to do about it?" Mariah questioned as she followed my sight to see Crystal dancing with Tala.  
  
I didn't have any response to that. But, all I knew was that Tala would not lay a finger on Crystal, best friend or not.  
  
"Besides, you've already broken her heart, remember?" Mariah promptly reminded me.  
  
"Mariah" Rei said warningly.  
  
"What? It's true isn't it?" Mariah protested.  
  
"She's distancing herself from you in order to protect herself Kai" a voice spoke up and I turned to see that it was Tala.  
  
"What do you want?" I said hiding the displeasure I felt inside.  
  
"Nothing." Tala responded with a shrug.  
  
"Where's Crystal?" Mariah asked before I could.  
  
"She went to get a drink" Tala answered with a smirk. "I told her she'd be able to get somebody to buy one for her"  
  
"Why'd you go and tell her that for?" I asked my eyes narrowing as I silently questioned Tala's motives.  
  
"Because it's true" he simply replied.  
  
"Miss me?" a voice inquired sweetly and we turned to see Crystal.  
  
"You bet ya" Tala said wrapping his arms around her. "I thought you were getting a drink?"  
  
"Yeah, I did. A really nice guy offered to buy them for me, I even managed to buy you all one each as well" Crystal replied obviously pleased with herself. "They're being delivered to our table."  
  
I frowned at her casual tone. What was Tala doing to her? This wasn't the Crystal I knew.  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's go up" Mariah suggested and we went up the stairs to the table.  
  
We didn't leave the club until several hours later.  
  
"C'mon Crystal" Tala said when we were outside. "I'll drop you off"  
  
"Why are you dropping her off? Wouldn't it make more sense if she just comes back with me?" I said suspiciously.  
  
"Oh, well I suppose so" Tala agreed reluctantly. "I'll see you tomorrow okay?" he said to Crystal before leaning over and giving her a kiss on her forehead. "Good night"  
  
"Night Tala" Crystal responded lightly.  
  
"Well, better get home and get some sleep" Rei said before he and Mariah left.  
  
"Bye guys" Mariah called out over her shoulder.  
  
"Bye" Crystal replied as we made our way to my car.  
  
"Thanks" she said when I opened the car door for her.  
  
We drove along for a few minutes before I broke the silence.  
  
"Akina, we still need to talk" I stated firmly.  
  
"Yeah, I think so too" she responded.  
  
"You do?" I said in surprise.  
  
"Yes." She answered. "I've decided that I'm moving out of your house"  
  
"What?" I exclaimed. Where the hell had this come from?  
  
"I've decided that you should not have to put up with me in your house. I'm sure that you're more than sick of me by now" she said with a shrug.  
  
"But where are you going to stay? You're not planning on going back to your house are you?" I said.  
  
"Actually, Tala offered to put me up for a while. Dad should be coming back in a week or so anyway" she responded.  
  
"Crystal if you moving out is because of me..." I trailed off.  
  
"Believe it or not Hiwatari, this isn't about you" she snapped.  
  
"Well then, why do you want to move out all of a sudden?" I questioned her.  
  
"I feel as though I'm an inconvenience to you" she said exasperated as we pulled up in my garage.  
  
"Well you're not" I said frowning.  
  
"Whatever. I feel as though I've caused you enough trouble. I'll be moving out tomorrow" she said before flinging open the car door and racing up the steps.  
  
Okay, was that chapter better than the last one? The next chapter is quite good, well I think so anyway but you can judge for yourself soon. More about Akina/Crystal's behavior will be further explained in the next chapter. Don't worry about Akina/Crystal being a permanent player, she just kinda turned player in this chapter. She'll be back to normal in the next chapter.....well kinda back to normal...Sorry about this chapter being so late....Yeah I know it's Christmas holidays and I should be updating more often except that I've been away for the past week.....I only actually just got back an hour ago. Anyway I'll update in 4-5 days okay? 


	43. Chapter 43: Ocean of tears

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 43: Ocean of tears  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
"Hey Tala" I greeted him the next day at his house.  
  
"Hey" he responded and stood aside and allowed me to pass through the door.  
  
"Thanks for offering to let me stay" I said as he led me to the room.  
  
"No problem" he replied throwing open the door. "Although, we'll have to share a room I'm afraid"  
  
"It's fine by me" I said winking at him and he laughed in response.  
  
I dropped my bag on the ground and turned to face him.  
  
"So, how are you?" he asked his forehead creasing in concern.  
  
'I'm fine" I answered.  
  
"No you're not" he said as studied my face and frowned.  
  
"I am, really" I insisted as I avoided his glance.  
  
"Crystal" he said sitting down on the bed and motioned for me to sit beside him.  
  
"What?" I said in confusion as I sat down next to him.  
  
"You don't need to lie to me" Tala remarked.  
  
"But I'm not lying" I protested.  
  
"Yes, you are" he said with a sigh. "Look, you're still hurting over Kai"  
  
"Hurting over Hiwatari? Please, the only reason why I told him how I felt was to get him out of my system" I said looking down at the ground, ignoring the growing pain inside of me.  
  
"Crystal, you don't need to lie to me. I've been through the same thing you have before" Tala told me.  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked confused.  
  
"You see, a few years ago, before I became a player, there was this girl, Natasha, I fell in love with and I thought that she was in love with me. To make a long story short, I found out that she herself was a player and that she was also in 'love' with several other guys as well as me. I confronted her and she said that she didn't return my feelings." Tala said quietly. "So do you see now that I know how you must be feeling?"  
  
"Yes" I answered knowing now that there would be no reason to lie to Tala and myself anymore.  
  
"So how do you plan on dealing with this whole Kai situation?" he asked after a moment of silence.  
  
"I don't know" I said with a shrug as tears pricked the back of my eyes. "I don't want to deal with it"  
  
"You'll have to sooner or later. You can't go on like this, it'll destroy you" Tala said somewhat knowingly.  
  
"I know, I know" I said, my words becoming choked in my throat.  
  
"It's okay to cry" he said softly.  
  
"I'm not crying" I said shaking my head in an attempt to clear my vision.  
  
"There you go again, lying to me and yourself once more" Tala lectured as he looped an arm over my shoulder.  
  
"I'm not lying" I whispered as a single tear fell from my eyes and it wasn't too long until others followed, splashing onto the bed.  
  
"It'll be okay" he assured me as I buried my face in his shirt.  
  
"No it won't be. It'll never be okay. Because no matter how much I try, it still hurts. It hurts so much that I just want to die" I sobbed into his chest.  
  
"I know, whoever said that time heals all wounds obviously didn't know what they were talking about" Tala comforted as he rubbed my back gently. "Get it all out; you'll feel better when you do. Only if it is a tiny bit better"  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Where the hell were they? I thought, a scowl settling upon my features. If they didn't arrive soon, they'd be late for homeroom.  
  
Leaning against the lockers, I continuously scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dark-headed girl. Hell, I'd even settle for seeing Tala. At least he'd know where Akina was.  
  
Suddenly I caught sight of Akina's head bobbing through the crowd as she made her way to her locker.  
  
"Akina" I said as she came to a stop in front of her locker.  
  
"Hiwatari" she merely replied before spinning her combo into her lock.  
  
God, she wouldn't even look at me.  
  
"I still need to talk to you" I said.  
  
"There is nothing to talk about" she said shutting her locker.  
  
"Yes there is" I said steeping in front of her to block her way.  
  
"Hiwatari, please get out of my way, homeroom is going to start any minute" she said as a guarded look crossed her features briefly.  
  
As soon as the words left her mouth, the bell rang signaling that all students were to be in homeroom.  
  
"Now stop wasting time, we're late" she snapped attempting to push past me.  
  
As she passed by, I gently took a hold of her arm and she instinctively stepped backwards until she was backed up against the lockers.  
  
"Don't you think that this is more important than homeroom?" I said noticing that her eyes refused to look up at me.  
  
"Please Hiwatari, I don't want to talk right now" she pleaded softly.  
  
"Too bad. I do." I said irritated about how she always wanted to avoid this.  
  
"Fine Hiwatari, what do you want to talk about then?" she finally huffed crossing her arms.  
  
"First of all, why are you calling me Hiwatari for?" I questioned.  
  
"Why? Weren't you the one prefers to be called be that? Correct me if I'm wrong but you told me to call you Hiwatari the first day we met" she responded.  
  
"So, you called me Kai. Why are you calling me Hiwatari now?" I said exasperated.  
  
"Do you really want to know?" she said softly. "It's because I don't feel comfortable enough around you anymore to call you by your first name"  
  
"Why do you feel so uncomfortable around me now then?" I asked her.  
  
"Are you serious?" she said finally looking at me, disbelief showing in her now pale blue orbs. "Don't tell me you have no idea. Now please leave me alone from now on" she said, a closed off expression appearing on her face as she brushed past me and took off down the hall leaving me behind.  
  
"So, did you end up talking to her?" Mariah asked later that day.  
  
"Yeah, kinda" I answered with a sigh.  
  
"I assume that things are not okay between you yet?" Rei enquired raising an eyebrow.  
  
"What gave you that idea?" I retorted, my voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Gee, you don't have be such a prick" Rei said with a frown.  
  
"Shit" I swore as I rooted through my locker.  
  
"What's that matter?" Mariah asked.  
  
"I left my books in the music room" I said.  
  
"Well go get them then" Rei responded rolling his eyes.  
  
"Oh gee Rei, I would've never thought of that if you hadn't told me" I said scowling.  
  
"Dickhead!" Rei called out after me as I walked up the stairs to the music suite.  
  
I wandered down the music suite and stopped when I caught sight of a figure in the music room.  
  
Akina sat at the piano, her fingers gliding across the keys, a far away look on her face.  
  
She began to sing softly, so softly that I had to strain my ears to hear it. But when I was able to make out her words my heart sank.  
  
Woke up today thinking of you  
  
Another night that I made my way through  
  
So many dreams still left in my mind  
  
But they can never come true  
  
I press rewind and remember when  
  
I close my eyes and I'm with you again  
  
But in the end I can still feel the pain every time I hear your name  
  
The sun won't shine since you went away  
  
Seems like the rain's falling every day  
  
There's just one heart, where there once was two  
  
But that's the way it's gotta be,  
  
'til I get over you.  
  
Walked through the park, in the evening air  
  
I heard a voice and I thought you were there  
  
I run away but I just can't escape  
  
Memories of you everywhere  
  
They say that time will dry the tears  
  
But true love burns for a thousand years  
  
Give my tomorrows for one yesterday  
  
Just to know that I could have you here  
  
When will this river of tears stop fallin'  
  
Where can I run so I won't feel alone  
  
Can't walk away when the pain keeps callin'  
  
I've just gotta take it from here on my own  
  
But it's so hard to let go  
  
The sun won't shine since you went away  
  
Seems like the rain's falling every day  
  
There's just one heart, where there once was two  
  
But that's the way it's gotta be,  
  
'til I get over you.  
  
She lifted her hands from the keys and then she seemed to crumple before my very eyes.  
  
I frowned, what was she doing? Then I realized that her shoulders were shaking and as I looked closer I saw several tears slide down her face.  
  
Oh shit, she was crying.  
  
Something stirred inside of me as I watched as sob after sob raked through her petite figure.  
  
I paused as I wondered what to do. Should I go in there and comfort her? Or should I just leave her alone?  
  
Glancing over at her, I saw her lift her head up slightly and I made a decision then.  
  
I disappeared around the corner but not before taking one last glance at Akina's tear streaked face and pale blue orbs which reflected her sadness.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
I know that crying is pointless. I know that crying never helps. I know that crying shows weakness.  
  
But yet here I was crying my heart out for Kai.  
  
I want to stop, but the tears continued to flow down my face, regardless of what I wanted.  
  
The numbness inside of me spread until I could feel nothing but emptiness in my heart.  
  
On instinct I whipped my head around and could've sworn that I had caught a glimpse of blue but when I blinked, it wasn't there. Oh god, I hoped that nobody had seen me. I knew I was pathetic, crying my heart out for a guy, but I didn't know how much longer I could hold the tears in. The only person who had ever heard me sing was Kai, first when he walked in on me just messing around with the First Love song for no reason whatsoever and the second time when I composed his birthday piece. My music was personal and I'd just die if somebody stumbled in on me when I was practicing. Music was now my only solitude, my escape, my release from reality.  
  
Just thinking of Kai made my heart hurt, and actually seeing him, well that was hundred times worse. But even when I wasn't in his presence, I couldn't escape. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see his face with that arrogant yet handsome smirk tugging at his lips, his intriguing auburn eyes burning into my soul.  
  
I should move on, I wanted to move on, but I couldn't. Even when I had gone clubbing and danced with who knows how many guys, it had meant nothing. Absolutely nothing. Why? Because Kai was the only person I wanted. Why was it that the person you want the most is always the one person you can't have? How ironic. The only reason why I had agreed to go clubbing was because I had thought it would distract me for a while. But nope, no luck, thoughts of Kai still haunted me no matter what I did. The sadness plagued me and seemed to grow as the days went past.  
  
Closing my eyes, I willed the tears to stop. This was pathetic. This wasn't me. I wasn't this blubbering blob who cried over a guy. Especially not Kai. But yet...the hollowness refused to go away.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Took you long enough" Mariah grumbled when I returned to my locker to find her and Rei still standing there. "What took you so long?"  
  
"Huh?" I said only realizing then that Mariah had said something.  
  
"Where are your books, weren't they there?" Rei asked with a frown.  
  
"Oh, well" I replied trying to come up with something to tell them.  
  
"Did something happen?" Mariah instantly asked worried.  
  
"Well kinda" I trailed off.  
  
"What do you mean? Tell us!" Mariah demanded.  
  
"Whoa, calm down Mariah" Rei told her. "What happened Kai?"  
  
"Well, I saw Crystal.....she was crying" I finally said.  
  
"She was crying?" Rei asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah. Over me I think" I said realizing how conceited that sounded.  
  
"Well of course she'd be crying over you. After all you did break her heart" Mariah scoffed.  
  
"Mariah" Rei exclaimed.  
  
"What?" she responded confused. "Anyway, what else did you expect her to do? Dance around in joy?"  
  
"She's dying inside" a voice spoke up and we spun around to see Tala leaning against a locker.  
  
"She seems fine" I replied. Like he needed to get any closer to Crystal.  
  
"Kai, you know as well as I do she is not fine. Her intellectualization defense mechanism has been activated, thus when anything concerning you is bought up, she immediately closes up to protect herself. She can be an extremely convincing actress. But it's her eyes which give her away." Tala said matter-of-factly. "Can't you see the sadness in her eyes? She can't even bear look you in the eye any longer. She may seem fine to you but it's all an act. She lost her pride when you rejected her so now it's all a show"  
  
"How would you know?" I questioned him.  
  
"She's put her guard up in case you haven't noticed" Tala continued with a roll of his turquoise eyes. "Besides, you broke the poor girl's heart"  
  
"Could you please stop reminding me?" I snapped in irritation. "It's not like I asked her to fall in love with me. It's not like I go around asking girls to fall for me"  
  
"Kai, in case you haven't noticed already, this isn't just some school girl crush Crystal has. Her feelings for you are really deep and serious" Tala snorted. "Anyway, it's not like she wanted to fall in love with you. You don't exactly get to choose who you fall in love with. If she could though, it definitely wouldn't be you"  
  
"Just what are you trying to say Tala?" I said scowling.  
  
"You know what? Forget it; you obviously aren't going to do anything where it concerns Crystal. You don't deserve her love Kai" Tala said and turned on his heel and strode away, disappearing into the stairwell leading up to the music suite.  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
My head snapped up when I heard the door open and my eyes flickered past it and came to a rest at Tala's face.  
  
Thank god, if it had been Kai.....I didn't even know whether I could face him any longer.....  
  
"Crystal?" Tala said quietly and came to sit down next to me.  
  
"Yeah, what?" I said embarrassed that this was the second time that I was crying in front of Tala.  
  
"I'd offer you a tissue or something but since I'm a guy I don't have any" Tala said after a pause.  
  
"It's okay" I replied with a shrug.  
  
"No it's not. What kind of friend am I if I can't even offer you a tissue?" Tala joked.  
  
There was a lapse in the conversation as my thoughts drifted once again to the one occupying my mind.  
  
His auburn eyes seemed to appear before me and I shut my eyes tightly to block the image.  
  
"You know Crystal, he doesn't deserve you" Tala stated after we had sat in silence for a while.  
  
"Who?" I said dumbly.  
  
"Didn't I already tell you not to play dumb with me?" Tala said with a shake of his head. "You know very well who 'he' is"  
  
"So what if I do? Right now, I don't want to-" I broke off and stared out the window. "Can we please go back to your house now?"  
  
"Sure" Tala said with a nod and picking up my hand gently, he led me out of the music room.  
  
"I'll meet you at the parking in a minute okay?" I told Tala when we stopped by my locker.  
  
"Okay" he said before stepping close to me and enveloping me in a warm hug. "Just remember" he whispered in my ear. "I'm always here for you okay?" with that he stepped back, brushed a few strands of hair from my forehead and planted a kiss on it before turning the corner.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Running my hands through my hair roughly I had decided to make a brief stop at my locker before leaving but I had stopped in my tracks at the sight before me.  
  
I watched in disgust as Tala gave Akina a tight hug before pressing his lips against her forehead.  
  
Did I just miss something?  
  
What the hell was Tala doing kissing Akina of all people?  
  
I clenched my fist and walked up to Akina after Tala left.  
  
"I didn't know you were still here" I stated flatly when I came to stand next to her.  
  
Akina's answer was merely a shrug before she turned to pull out a folder from her locker.  
  
Scowling I turned to tug at my lock.  
  
She could at least look at me properly.  
  
Who cares anyway? I thought and pulled my lock free and began digging through it and shoving whatever I found into my bag without looking to see if I even needed them or not.  
  
When I turned around I found that Akina was already gone.  
  
Frowning I made my way to the parking lot just in time to see her get into Tala's car.  
  
Oh right, she was now staying with him I remembered sarcastically and my features visibly darkened without me realizing it.  
  
Staring at my ceiling later that night, guilt suddenly invaded my mind without any warning. It burned me up inside like acid, slowly eating away at me.  
  
I remember how Akina's eyes were now a pale frosty blue, not even a speck of vivid emerald was left. Weird, I had seen her eyes change color before, like when they darkened to swirls of aqua and turquoise whenever she became angry, glittered with laughter and mischief when she was amused and had once softened to a sky blue with the tiniest hint of vivid emerald. But I had never seen them turn this shade before. So logically, the pale blue must symbolize her sadness and sorrow. So Tala was right.  
  
Guilt continued to grow in the pit of my stomach and I scowled.  
  
Why the hell was I feeling guilty anyway? I've never felt guilty for anything I did. Hundreds of girls had confessed their so-called love for me but I had brushed them off without a second thought.  
  
So maybe it's because I'm regretting my actions. But why would I be regretting my actions?  
  
I frowned as I processed that thought.  
  
Wait a moment.  
  
It couldn't be because......  
  
No, impossible my mind seemed to scream.  
  
But it had already hit me.  
  
I love Akina  
  
There you go, I really liked this chapter, I hope you liked it too. Hopefully it was long enough for you but personally I think it's just a bit rushed. Anyway this fic will be ending soon since I don't want to drag it out any further, I think that most people will be glad about that. Also people have asked whether there'll be a sequel. Well you'll be pleased to know that there will be a sequel, I've actually already began to work on it although I'm just doing a draft of it first then I'll probably go back and refine it a little. The song which Akina sang was Christina Milian's 'Til I get over you, it's a really really pretty song. Please remember to review okay? The end draws nearer....... 


	44. Chapter 44: Jealousy streak

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 44: Jealousy streak  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
Sighing, I turned over in my bed but try as I might, thoughts of Kai and his stupid yet intriguing auburn eyes still haunted my mind.  
  
I know, I know. I've said before and I'll say it again.  
  
I want to get over him, really I do but well...telling myself that and actually doing that were two entirely different things.  
  
Yes, I should probably hate him right now for breaking my heart into a freaking million pieces but yet....  
  
Please don't say it, my mind begged but did my already shattered heart listen? No.  
  
Even though I want to hate him, I couldn't help but still be in love with him.  
  
Yes, love, not like. Make no mistake about that. Sure, I had liked guys before but never love.....  
  
But this was the best thing to do....for the moment anyway.  
  
Distancing myself from him, distract myself so that I will stop crying.  
  
Yep, that was the plan.  
  
I had already distanced myself from him.  
  
Well, physically anyway even if not emotionally.  
  
Flashback  
  
"What? You want to leave? You can't leave!" Katrina exclaimed.  
  
"I'm sorry, I feel as though I've outstayed my welcome here" I responded softly.  
  
"Does this have anything to do with Kai?" she suddenly asked. "If it does, I'll have to have a talk with him? What'd he say to you this time? He's really going to be in for it"  
  
"No, really, it's got absolutely nothing to do with Kai" I said feeling bad for lying to her. Of course I was leaving because of Kai.  
  
"Look Akina" Katrina said with a sigh. "I know that Kai can be difficult at times so I can understand why you wish to stay somewhere else. All I can say is that I hope that everything works out between the two of you. I've been looking forward to having you as my daughter-in-law ever since I got to know you"  
  
"I-" I began but Katrina swiftly cut me off.  
  
"It's fine." Katrina assured me. "Everything will work itself out in the end. I respect your decision to leave. All I can do now is hope that you will return soon"  
  
End of flashback  
  
I no longer lived in the same house as him, which was definitely a good thing. I so could not handle even just being around him. How I had even survived after I had woken up from my three days sleep was a miracle. Probably because I was still somewhat recovering from my fever. Yeah, that sounded about right. Or some other reason like that. Beside that didn't even matter anymore.  
  
Anyway, it was my own fault that I was in the state that I'm in now. If only I had been able to keep my big mouth shut then this wouldn't have happened. So I definitely couldn't place all the blame on Kai for breaking my damn heart. Even though it'd be incredibly easy to, I couldn't.  
  
As for distracting myself, well unfortunately enough, that hadn't been as successful. Sure, I had gone clubbing that night with Tala and the others and my thoughts of Kai had flown out of my head well for like a minute or something after I had gotten used to the flirting. But the moment I had caught sight of Kai's face, the thoughts instantly came hurtling back and I was back at square one. Maybe that was a good thing since I hadn't exactly felt 100% comfortable flirting with like a dozen guys all in short span of time. Who the hell knows how Tala does it.  
  
Note to self: Think of other ways to distract myself.  
  
Perhaps I should talk to Mariah....she'd probably understand. But then again, she was the one who decided to play freaking Barbie doll with me. I swear, if I didn't know better, I would've thought that she and Tala were conspiring against me. But I knew that was absurd. Tala wouldn't even dream of it since he knew what heartbreak was like too.  
  
It was sweet of him to offer me his place to stay, although it still wasn't the same as Kai's house. Sure Tala was well nice enough, but I seriously didn't think of him as more than a friend. Even that thought was just eww.  
  
I shuddered and pulled the covers up to my chin. Maybe if I went away for a while my heart would have enough time to repair itself. Perhaps if I returned to Hong Kong....that thought drifted through my head lazily as I stifled a yawn.  
  
Better get some rest Kai's voice echoed in my head.  
  
God, there really was no escape was there?  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Good morning Kai" mum chirped the next morning.  
  
"Morning" I mumbled sitting down across from her.  
  
"Your usual I assume?" she enquired arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah" I answered absently.  
  
"Did you get enough sleep last night?" she questioned worriedly as she took in my tired expression.  
  
"Huh?" I said lifting my head up.  
  
"You didn't did you?" she said with a sigh. "Why not?"  
  
"I dunno" I responded with a shrug.  
  
"Would it have anything to do with Akina?" she asked.  
  
"Why would it have anything to do with her" I grumbled while buttering my toast.  
  
"Oh, just wondering. It's very quiet without her around" she mused.  
  
"Right" I muttered, now concentrating on my toast.  
  
"Kai" she finally said leaning forward over the table. "You listen and you listen good. I know very well that you broke Akina's heart. I suggest you go and get her back before you lose her"  
  
"How did you know?" I said surprised.  
  
"How could I not? Sure, nobody came to tell me outright but I picked up little hints here and there. Like how she now avoids looking at you and that when you enter a room she leaves as soon as possible. But you've only confirmed my suspicions now" mum said dismissively.  
  
"But-" I spluttered through a mouthful of toast.  
  
"No buts Kai. This is the one good thing which has happened to you for a long time. You will not lose Akina, is that understood?" my mother said sternly as she stood up from the table. "Now hurry up and get to school before you're late okay?" she finished sweetly before leaving the dining room.  
  
Great, just great I thought as I allowed my head to fall onto the table's glossy surface with a thud. Now my mum was on my case. She'd stop at nothing to ensure that Akina and I ended up together.  
  
"Hey Kai" Tala greeted me at lunchtime later that day.  
  
"Hey" I muttered back and my eyes narrowed when I caught sight of Tala's arm slung casually over Akina's shoulders.  
  
Tala leaned over slightly, tucked her hair behind one ear and whispered something to her.  
  
Scowling I sat down and observed as Akina smiled in return.  
  
Oh yeah, Tala and I were going to have a little talk.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
I smiled weakly as Tala whispered something in my ear.  
  
What he had whispered, I didn't even know since I wasn't even listening. I felt bad, Tala was so sweet but I couldn't even smile sincerely in return for his efforts to cheer me up or whatever it was that he was doing.  
  
Rei and Mariah soon came and sat down next to us, Rei sprawled up against the tree, his legs spread out in a V shape with Mariah sitting smugly in the middle.  
  
They were so lucky that they had found each other I mused as this time it was Rei whom leaned over and whispered something into Mariah's ear, causing to giggle and smile.  
  
"Hey sexy" a shrill voice said and I turned around to the source of it.  
  
Mia, argh, did she have to pick this exact moment to show up?  
  
"How you doing?" she said obviously in an attempt to pick Kai up.  
  
Rolling my eyes I turned away. Like I needed to watch Mia throw herself at Kai.  
  
"I believe the correct expression would be 'how are you doing'" Tala said bluntly before everybody shifted their attention away from her.  
  
I saw Mia seethe for a moment out of the corner from my eye and I smirked. Served her right for being here when she was obviously not wanted. Talk about attention seeker.  
  
"Why, don't you all look cozy, paired off and all" she remarked keeping her gaze on Kai who was ignoring her presence. "But lookie here, Kai has nobody. You're lucky that I came along for I'm more than happy to be yours"  
  
"Try more than desperate" I muttered. Kai must've heard me for he shot me a look but as soon as our eyes made contact I turned away.  
  
"So Kai, what you been up to lately?" Mia purred climbing into Kai's lap.  
  
"What the hell, get off me!" Kai snapped pushing Mia off himself.  
  
"Oww! Kai!" Mia wailed as she rubbed at her knee. "What'd you go and do that for?"  
  
"Why did I do that for? Because you are a desperate bitch who has nothing better to do with her time than to go and bother other people" Kai stated frostily. "Now please do all of us a favor and get the hell out of here. I don't hit girls but I'm sure that Mariah and Crystal will be more than happy to kick your sorry excuse for an ass."  
  
Mia reluctantly left, her mouth twisting into a nasty scowl.  
  
I sighed and shifted from my position leaning against the rough tree trunk to lying down on the grass gazing up at the cloud scattered sky. My thoughts drifted lazily around in my head before stopping once again on him. Could I please have a moment of piece without him freaking invading my head? If this continued it would seriously mess me up in the long run. And to think he was only sitting a few meters away! Stupid brain...maybe I should seriously consider returning to Hong Kong. After all that wasn't such a bad idea.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Tala, we need to talk" I stated coldly after lunch.  
  
"Dude, you're not breaking up with me are you?" he joked in return but the smile soon disappeared from his face when he saw my hardened expression. "So what's up?"  
  
"What's up? Well why don't you tell me what's up between you and Crystal huh?" I challenged him.  
  
"What's up between me and Crystal?" Tala said stroking his chin in a mockingly serious expression. "Well why don't you tell me what you think is up between Crystal and I?"  
  
"Stop messing around Tala" I snapped.  
  
"What would you do if I said that there was something between me and Crystal?" Tala replied.  
  
"Don't you dare lay a finger on her Tala! If you do I swear, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. I don't care if you're my best friend or not" I shot back. "Crystal is mine and only mine"  
  
Oh god, this was pathetic. I was turning into some possessive freak.  
  
"Jealous Kai?" Tala challenged me.  
  
"Jealous, me? Please" I spat scowling while wondering if it was it that obvious. "Why the hell would I be jealous for?"  
  
"Oh gee, let me think" Tala said sarcastically. "Maybe the fact that you think that I'm getting too close to Crystal just eats you up inside"  
  
"I am not jealous" I insisted though my mind was screaming otherwise.  
  
"You know Kai, you and Crystal both have a habit of lying to yourself and other people in such situations as this" Tala commented clearly amused. "Just admit it you're jealous"  
  
"Fine I'm jealous, so what?" I finally admitted.  
  
"Well if you're jealous then you obviously have some feelings towards Crystal" Tala responded.  
  
There was silence when I didn't answer his question.  
  
"So my assumption was correct then" Tala said almost casually.  
  
"So you wanted me to admit that I like Crystal then?" I questioned him.  
  
"Correction Kai, you don't like Crystal. You love Crystal" Tala corrected me placing emphasis on the word love.  
  
"Me and love don't belong in the same sentence" I said scowling.  
  
"Oh, quite the contrary when it comes to Crystal" he said before sobering up. "So now that you've come clean with your feelings, what do you plan to do next?"  
  
"What?" I said vaguely confused. "I have to do something?"  
  
"Yes, you have to do something" Tala said exasperated. "You are absolutely hopeless you know that"  
  
"I am not hopeless" I said in reply.  
  
"Moving on" Tala said ignoring my reply. "You should tell Crystal how you feel before she moves on and you lose her"  
  
"You realize that you sound exactly like my mother" I said remembering the conversation from earlier that morning. "Anyway, aren't you both together now?"  
  
"Kai, Kai, Kai" Tala said shaking his head. "I was never 'with her' as you put it. I never intended to seriously go after her. All that you saw was just me pursuing her, in hope that you would realize your feelings for her and make a move"  
  
"Oh" I said in understanding.  
  
"What kind of friend would I be if I went after your girl?" Tala said with a grin. "Now go and get her before it's too late"  
  
So what'd you think of that chapter? I thought it was okay so review and tell me what you think please. The next chapter is the last one, I'll warn you now. But there's always the sequel.... 


	45. Chapter 45: Those three little words

Two hearts, one love  
  
Chapter 45: Those three little words  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
All done, I thought triumphantly as I stood back to survey my work.  
  
Three trays of triple chocolate chip cookies stood before me just out from the oven. I carefully tipped them out onto the cooling rack and within a few minutes they were cool enough to pack up into the colored boxes which I had bought to place them in. Crimson red for Tala, golden yellow for Rei, lavender purple for Mariah and navy blue for Kai. Each box was labeled with its intended receiver's name and layers of soft tissue paper matching the box rested inside.  
  
Finally satisfied with my work, I began cleaning up after closing the box lids and stacking them in a pile on the table.  
  
Tired from baking, I sank down into a chair and closed my eyes, while the conversation with my father earlier that week replayed itself in my mind.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Hi Dad" I said when the line connected.  
  
"Hello Akina" he responded warmly. "How have you been?"  
  
"Okay" I said quickly.  
  
"Are you sure?" he questioned concerned.  
  
"Yes" I answered firmly. "How's your trip going?"  
  
"Fine, I'll be back in a few days." He replied. "How are finding your stay with the Hiwataris?"  
  
"Actually," I began hesitantly. "I'm not staying with them any longer, I'm staying with my other friend Tala"  
  
"Really? Since when?" my father asked, curiosity apparent in his voice.  
  
"Just since the start of this week" I said.  
  
"What made you decide to move out?" he said in reply.  
  
"I felt as though I was burdening them" I answered swiftly.  
  
"Very well then. It is your decision after all" he said after a pause. "I'll see you in a day or two okay?"  
  
"Yeah, bye Dad" I said absently, twirling the phone cord around my finger.  
  
"Take care of yourself Akina" he told before disconnecting the line.  
  
End of flashback  
  
That was why I had now moved back into my own house. Dad would be arriving back home today, which was why I had left Tala's to come and bake the cupcakes. At the same time I thought it would be nice if I baked a few extras and gave them to Tala and the others.  
  
Better get take a shower before Dad gets back I thought lazily as I stood up from my chair.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
Thoughts swirled through my mind rapidly, Akina telling me that she loved me, Mum's warning about losing Akina, Tala's saying that she was dying inside but all the thoughts boiled down to one in the end.  
  
I loved Akina.  
  
Tala had suggested that I do something about it and fast. Before I lost her. But why would I lose her? Did Tala know something that I didn't? My forehead creased as I extended that thought. Better call him. He had better not be hiding anything from me.  
  
"Tala?" I said when I had dialed his number.  
  
"Yo Kai, what's up?" Tala replied.  
  
"What exactly did you mean when you said that I could lose Crystal?" I said getting straight to the point.  
  
There was a sigh on the other end as Tala obviously considered my question.  
  
"Dude, it might or might not be anything to worry about but when she was staying with me, I heard her talk in her sleep" he finally admitted.  
  
"What did she say?" I said impatiently, pushing away the jealous feeling when I remember that Tala and Akina had shared a room when she stayed with him.  
  
"She said" there was a pause before Tala continued. "She was mumbling a few words in her sleep. I only managed to catch Kai, leave and Hong Kong"  
  
"What?" I exclaimed in disbelief.  
  
"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news" Tala said.  
  
"Tala, I-" I began but didn't finish as words failed me.  
  
"Man, you better get a move on" Tala advised before hanging up.  
  
Kai, leave, Hong Kong repeated over and over again as I processed and put them together.  
  
Akina couldn't be going back to Hong Kong, right?  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
"Welcome back Dad" I said looking up from placing the cupcakes on a plate.  
  
"It's good to be back" he replied with a smile. "Did you bake these yourself?" he asked indicating the cookies.  
  
"Yeah" I said as I passed him one.  
  
"So how have you been recently?" he questioned after swallowing the cookie.  
  
"Fine" I said busying myself with making some tea.  
  
"Akina," he said with a sigh. "Is something the matter?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong, why would you think that?" I assured him.  
  
"Akina, you're my only daughter, don't you think that I would know you well enough to know when there is something wrong with you?" he said shaking his head.  
  
"I'm fine, really I am" I insisted, forcing a smile onto my face.  
  
"Something is wrong. I can tell from your eyes" he said seriously as his gaze flickered down to them. "You know that you have your mother's eyes. Her emotions were always reflected through them"  
  
"I-" I began but couldn't finish as tears threatened to spill over. Why now of all times? Couldn't I even get through one freaking day without wanting to cry? I did not want to cry in front of my father, I was supposed to be strong.  
  
"Akina, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it" he said gently as he took in my unreleased tears. "Just remember, if you ever need anything, I'll be here for you" he said as he turned to leave the room.  
  
"Dad," I finally managed to say and he turned back around. "I want to go back to Hong Kong"  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Hey guys" I said absently as Rei, Mariah and Tala sat down next to me at lunch later that week.  
  
"Hey" they replied and they all frowned as they took in my untucked shirt, loosely tied tie and tired expression.  
  
"Kai, what's wrong?" Rei questioned.  
  
"Huh?" I said turning to look at him.  
  
"He's going through a mid life crisis" Tala informed him.  
  
"What?" Mariah asked in confusion.  
  
"He's fighting an internal battle about how to tell Crystal that he loves her" Tala said.  
  
"Ooh, so you've finally come clean with your feelings for Crystal huh? Well I hope you tell her soon" Mariah said shifting her attention to an approaching figure. "Here she comes now"  
  
"Hey" Crystal greeted us when she arrived.  
  
"What are those?" Rei asked her as he caught sight of four colored boxes in her hands.  
  
"For you guys" she simply said and passed them out.  
  
I looked down at the dark blue box with Hiwatari Kai neatly printed onto it in cursive handwriting. There she went again, not using my given name but my whole name.  
  
Taking a quick glance over at the other boxes confirmed my suspicions. I was the only one whom Crystal had written my entire name.  
  
"Oh my god, these are so cute!" Mariah exclaimed when she opened up her box.  
  
Upon lifting the lid, I found several triple chocolate cookies nestled in the same shade of tissue paper and each was decorated with my name.  
  
"Thanks heaps Crystal" Tala said as he took a bite out of a cookie.  
  
"These taste so good Crystal! Did you make them yourself?" Mariah asked her after taking a bite out of her cookie.  
  
"Yeah" she said with a shrug.  
  
"Aren't you going to eat yours?" Tala enquired leaning over to look down at my cookies.  
  
"Huh?" I said looking up from them.  
  
"Dude" he said with a sigh. "Tell her soon so that you can quit acting like you're permanently lost"  
  
Akina/Crystal's POV  
  
"Akina?" dad asked as he knocked on my door.  
  
"Come in Dad" I replied and he stepped into my room.  
  
"Have you finished packing?" he said.  
  
"Yeah, just about" I said as I neatly folded a skirt and laid it in my suitcase.  
  
"Are you sure that you want to return to Hong Kong?" dad asked  
  
"Yes" I firmly replied.  
  
"Okay, if it's what you want" he said with a sigh and stood up. "I supposed it doesn't really matter where you live since I'm always away on business. I'm sorry that I'm not around more"  
  
"It's okay Dad, really. I understand how important your job is" I reassured.  
  
"Well here is your ticket for tomorrow. You have your passport right?" Dad checked, handing me a booklet with my ticket enclosed.  
  
"Yes" I told him.  
  
"Are any of your friends going to the airport to see you off tomorrow?" he asked.  
  
"No, I didn't tell them that I was leaving" I confessed. "I wrote them letters explaining it to them"  
  
Flashback  
  
I shook my wrist which was exhausted from all the writing I had just done. Served me right though. I could've just written them all the same e-mail. But I had thought that would've been too impersonal.  
  
Better check them for any spelling errors I thought and picked up Rei's letter.  
  
To Rei,  
  
Rei, you're such a great person and friend. You always have a sense of humor but yet you're mature at the same time. I always wonder how you manage to do that. I'm sure that with your easy going nature and personality you'll go far in life.  
  
Are you wondering why I'm saying all this stuff? I'm not planning on committing suicide if that's what you're thinking. I'm not that stupid. Like I'd commit suicide because... you know what? Let's just get on with the letter. As I was saying I'm not dying or anything, just moving back to Hong Kong. I just want to thank you for being my friend from the first day of school.  
  
Love from your friend Crystal.  
  
P.S Remember to take of Mariah! She's a bit err..high maintenance at times....  
  
Next I read through Mariah's letter.  
  
Dear Mariah,  
  
This is just a short letter to thank you for being such a great friend while I've been in Tokyo. You always managed to cheer me up and I loved the shopping sprees we went on even though the clothes you always picked out for me were kinda...  
  
Anyway, moving on, I hope that you are always cheerful and happy, no matter what happens. You're the kind of person who lights up a room the moment she steps into it and because of that I'll always remember you.  
  
Love from your friend, Crystal.  
  
Shifting through the letters, I found Tala's.  
  
Hey Tala,  
  
Are you wondering why I'm writing this to you? Well by the time you've gotten this letter, I'll be let's see....out of the country probably? I'm returning to Hong Kong. Why you ask? Well I suppose it's because of Kai. I could probably lie to you and say it's due to my father's business or something but you'll probably call me on my bullshit right?  
  
Anyway, time to get down to business. I just wanted to let you know how much I've appreciated your friendship and how you supported me through the whole Kai thing. I've learnt from you to always be true to myself. You helped me greatly and I thank you for that. I hope that you will find your true happiness because you deserve every bit of it.  
  
Love from your friend Crystal.  
  
Lastly I scanned through Kai's letter.  
  
Hiwatari Kai,  
  
I'm just writing to let you know that I'm returning to Hong Kong. Thank-you for your hospitality and tolerance in putting up with me. I know that I can be a nuisance at times and I apologize for any inconvenience I've caused for you.  
  
I wish you all the best in life and may you be successful in whatever you choose to do.  
  
Sincerely yours, Hiragazaki Akina.  
  
I slid each letter into its corresponding envelope and sealed them. I pasted a stamp on the front of each one and made a note to myself to post them in the morning on the way to the airport.  
  
End of flashback  
  
"Akina" my father said disapprovingly.  
  
"I know Dad" I said with a sigh and looked out the window. The sun was low in the sky, it'd soon be setting. "I think I'll go and take a walk"  
  
"Okay, just be sure to be back before its dark" Dad answered before leaving.  
  
I closed the clasp on my suitcase before descending down the stairs and out the door.  
  
Kai's POV  
  
"Kai, I have some news for you" my mother asked as she entered my room.  
  
"Yeah what is it?" I replied.  
  
"It's Akina, she's leaving to return to Hong Kong tomorrow" she stated quietly.  
  
"What? No, Akina wouldn't leave" I said with a shake of my head.  
  
"Kai, Akina is leaving tomorrow because she's hurt and wants distance herself from you. Moving out of our house wasn't enough for her. She's hurt so much that she just wants to forget that she ever knew you. You have to tell her how you feel now. Who knows when you will see her again" mum said firmly. "Now go to her house before it's too late"  
  
"Okay, okay" I said as I walked past her still in a daze.  
  
Akina was leaving?  
  
No, Akina will not and cannot leave without knowing how I feel about her. I had put this off for as long as I could. This was the moment of truth.  
  
"How may I help you?" a maid enquired when I had arrived at Akina's house.  
  
"I need to see Akina" I said quickly.  
  
"I'm sorry, she isn't in at the current moment" the maid said apologetically.  
  
"Hiwatari Kai? Is that you?" Akina's father said in surprise as he walked into the lobby.  
  
"Mr. Hiragazaki, could you possibly tell me where Akina is?" I asked him, the urgency now apparent in my voice.  
  
"I think she has gone for a walk" he answered.  
  
"Thanks" I said before taking off down the driveway as fast as I could.  
  
Where could she have gone? I wondered as I ran past the streets and the park.  
  
Wait a moment. The park.  
  
I skidded on my heels and sprinted back towards the park and made a beeline for the lake.  
  
Why didn't I think of the park and lake before?  
  
I came to a halt when I caught sight of her figure through the trees.  
  
I drank in the sight of her as she stood at the water's edge, the setting sun casting a glow over the lake as it shimmered.  
  
Crystal/Akina's POV  
  
I gazed at the setting sun, marveling at its beauty as it set and I was filled with sadness that there was nobody with me to share this moment.  
  
I unconsciously slipped a hand inside the tiny pocket in my skirt and frowned when I felt something smooth brush past my finger.  
  
What was it? I wondered as I carefully tugged it out of my pocket.  
  
It was the sticker photos which I had taken with Kai several weeks ago. I smiled wistfully when I saw his arms wrapped around me. It was a pity that that would never happen again.  
  
Sighing, I slipped the photo back inside my pocket. It was just a reminder of how things had been and how simple it was then. Maybe I should just burn it. After all if I was returning to Hong Kong I didn't need memories like this hanging over my head. If I was to erase Kai from my heart, I would have to destroy every trace of him. But...couldn't I keep these photos? Or would it only feel me with sadness every time I looked at it?  
  
Shaking my head, I decided to contemplate that later and that it would be best now to return home since darkness would soon settle over everything.  
  
I turned to walk back through the trees when my heart stopped.  
  
Kai.  
  
There he was, leaning against the trunk of a tree, arms folded over his chest, gazing intently at me and he straightened up when I noticed him.  
  
"Akina" he simply said and I stayed rooted beside the lake as he approached me.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I whispered almost afraid of the answer.  
  
"What's this I hear about you returning to Hong Kong?" he said ignoring my question.  
  
"Where-where'd you hear that from?" I said averting my gaze.  
  
"My mother told me. Is it true? Are you really leaving?" he asked seriously stepping closer in order to stare into my eyes.  
  
"Yes" I said dropping my head to stare at the ground.  
  
"Akina, I'd appreciate it if you looked at me in the eye just this once" he said in a soft pleading tone.  
  
"Hiwatari-" I started to say but he swiftly stepped forward and placed a single finger over my lips.  
  
"Don't start calling my Hiwatari now" he said quietly. "Why are you leaving?"  
  
"Because I want to" I said definitely looking up into his eyes trying my best to ignore the tingles shooting from his single finger to my lips.  
  
"You're lying" Kai said flatly.  
  
"No I'm not. I want to return to Hong Kong. I can't even remember why I decided to come here in the first place" I said firmly trying to believe what I was saying and Kai's fingers slipped from my lips as I turned to stare at the setting sun  
  
"Akina, I'm sorry" he said without any warning.  
  
"What for?" I said vaguely confused.  
  
"I'm sorry for what happened that day in the rain" he answered quietly.  
  
"You don't have to be sorry. What else were you supposed to do? Say that you returned my feelings when you didn't? If you had done that, it would've been a hundred times as worse." I said, tears pricking the corners of my eyes. There was no way I was going to cry in front of him. He did not need to know how deep my pain was.  
  
"Akina, I love you" Kai said after a brief pause.  
  
"No you don't. You feel guilty that I'm leaving." I told him softly. "Do not force yourself to love me out of pity"  
  
"I am not forcing myself to love you out of pity Akina" he said before wrapping his arms around me and tilting my head up to meet his eyes. "I love you"  
  
This time his words seemed to ring through the air, sincerity laced within them and it took me several long moments before I was able to process this thought. All it took was those three little words to bring the world around me to a grinding halt.  
  
I gazed into his auburn eyes to see them filled with something indescribable. Could it be love? I found it difficult to allow myself to believe his words. But upon looking into his eyes I believed him.  
  
"Kai?" I whispered almost uncertainly.  
  
"I'm glad that you've stopped all that Hiwatari crap" he said and for the first time since I've met him, a true smile spread over his features and his eyes softened.  
  
"I love you Kai" I murmured leaning my head against his chest.  
  
"I love you too Akina" he said in return before resting his head on the top of mine and his hands slowly encircled themselves around my waits.  
  
"I suppose I won't be returning to Hong Kong for some time" I mumbled and Kai chuckled quietly.  
  
"I sure hope not" he said and when I lifted my head up I found our lips a millimeter apart.  
  
My world seemed to spin at our close proximity and I felt my heartbeat quicken.  
  
Before I could say anything, Kai swiftly closed the distance, our lips meeting in soft and gentle kiss.  
  
Finished at last! Sorry about the ending....but not to worry there will be a sequel and that will have more fluff in it. Although I have yet to finalize the plot and have been having a lot of difficulty and problems with it. If you have any ideas about what the plot in the sequel could be then please post your ideas in your review or you can e-mail me at ice_kachang_anjel@hotmail.com Also if you're going to e-mail me could you put "Two hearts, one love" as the subject title? I'm not sure if the sequel will be as good as this fic since I haven't completed it yet but I think that my writing has improved somewhat. I don't' think it'll be as long as this fic either at this point I'm not even sure if it'll be half as long as this fic. The sequel should be up in 3-4 weeks time. I hope that you've liked my fic and sorry if you didn't. But I think that I did okay considering that this is my first fic. Please, please, please remember to review and thanks for taking the time to read this fic. I did contemplate about writing an epilogue for this but in the end I decided not to once I got started because it was kinda weird. Anyway thanks once again. Bubaiz. *waves* 


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